Beaver Creek Wilderness
The Beaver Creek Wilderness is a secluded hardwood forest in southern Kentucky and is located within the boundaries of the Beaver Creek Wildlife Management Area. The Wilderness is almost totally enclosed by towering sandstone cliffs. Below these high walls you can find natural arches formed by the elements and rock shelters used by Native Americans and early settlers. Much of the year the forest is alive with flowering trees, shrubs, and low-lying plants. The eastern mixed mesophytic forest is a dynamic ecosystem. The forest continually changes through time as a result of disturbance events such as wildfire, tornados, ice storms, and insect infestations.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Kentucky |
| Size | 4,816 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.90° N, 84.44° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 6 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 big Game Hunting, 1 day hiking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- under 1 miBeaver Creek Wilderness ↗Day hiking
- under 1 miBeaver Creek Wildlife Management Area ↗Big Game Hunting
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
7 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 15 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Ridge ↗ | 7 | |
| Upper Bowman | 2.9 | |
| Bowman Ridge | 1.5 | |
| Three Forks of Beaver Loop | 1.5 | |
| Upper Bowman A | 1 | |
| Three Forks of Beaver Overlook | 0.5 | |
| Three Forks Spur | 0.2 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedSte - Goodin Ridge Rx
5 mi from the center point · 2,604 acres
- WildfireBsp - Cactus
36 mi from the center point · 220 acres · 50% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 6.3 miWartburg Presbyterian Church ↗Wartburg, TN
- 8.6 miBurnside Lodge ↗Burnside, KY
- 8.9 miBurnside Methodist Church ↗Burnside, KY
- 9.1 miBurnside Historic District ↗Burnside, KY
- 9.3 miBoland House ↗Burnside, KY
- 9.4 miBeatty-Newell House ↗Bronston, KY
- 9.6 miUs Post Office--Bronston ↗Bronston, KY
- 9.8 mi
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Kentucky
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Beaver Creek Wilderness?
4,816 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Beaver Creek Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Beaver Creek Wilderness in?
Kentucky.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Beaver Creek Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Beaver Creek Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Beaver Creek Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.901° N, 84.439° W. Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument is 18 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Beaver Creek Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Ste - Goodin Ridge Rx at 5 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Beaver Creek Wilderness?
Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument (18 mi) and Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Beaver Creek Wilderness?
The National Register has 27 listings within 15 miles, including Wartburg Presbyterian Church and Burnside Lodge.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.