USFS · Virginia

Brush Mountain Wilderness

Brush Mountain Wilderness lies north of and in close proximity to Blacksburg, Virginia. Despite its location adjacent to the suburbs of Blacksburg, Brush Mountain is surprisingly remote. It extends for about 8 miles along the northwest slope of Brush Mountain, bounded to the east by a power line, to the northwest by Craig Creek and private property, and to the southeast by Forest road 188.1 along the crest of the mountain. Brush Mountain displays the typical characteristics of the Ridge and Valley physiographic province. It is capped by a resistant layer of Devonian sandstone, with the underlying shales giving rise to a series of steep ridges and deep coves along the northern slope.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness4,795 acresUSFSVADesignated 20093 campgrounds within 10 mi1 Forest Service site
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Brush Mountain Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateVirginia
Size4,795 acres
Designated2009, by Congress
Center point37.33° N, 80.33° W
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Brush Mountain Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 3.23 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowFebruary: 2.83 inches of precipitation, 7.0 inches of snowMarch: 3.78 inches of precipitation, 4.3 inches of snowApril: 3.77 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowMay: 4.47 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 4.27 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 4.21 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.57 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.45 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.91 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 2.85 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowDecember: 3.30 inches of precipitation, 4.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.9°F averageFebruary: 34.7°F averageMarch: 41.7°F averageApril: 51.4°F averageMay: 60.2°F averageJune: 67.9°F averageJuly: 71.7°F averageAugust: 70.4°F averageSeptember: 64.3°F averageOctober: 53.2°F averageNovember: 42.7°F averageDecember: 35.1°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Blacksburg Nwso, 10 miles from the center point at 2,103 feet, station USC00440766 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 43 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 25 inches a year on the same inches scale.

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

Campsite Atlas →

None of the 3 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.

FS · under 0.1 mi
Caldwell Fields Group Campground
Reservable2 sites
FS · 8.4 mi
Boley Field Group Campground
Reservable1 site
FS · 9.5 mi
White Rocks Campground
First-come35 sites

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 1

The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 group camp. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 69 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for Virginia

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Five-Star Trails: Tri-Cities of Tennessee and Virginia
    Johnny Molloy, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Virginia
    Bill Burnham, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Appalachian trail guide to Southwest Virginia
    Bill Prueschner and Mary Ann Prueschner, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking waterfalls in Virginia
    Andy Thompson, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes in Northern Virginia
    Leonard M. Adkins, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Brush Mountain Wilderness?

4,795 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Brush Mountain Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Brush Mountain Wilderness in?

Virginia.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Brush Mountain Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2009.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Brush Mountain 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 Brush Mountain Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 37.325° N, 80.329° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Are there historic places near Brush Mountain Wilderness?

The National Register has 69 listings within 15 miles, including Johnsville Meetinghouse and Gravel Hill Christian Church.

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.
  • 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.