Garden Mountain Wilderness
Garden Mountain Wilderness lies on the southern flank of Garden Mountain extending around the unique geological structure of Burkes Garden. The Burkes Garden geological feature began as a dome of Clinch sandstone. Its center has been eroded away to form the bowl of Burkes Garden, while the resulting scarp forms a backbone from which the Wilderness extends. The Wilderness surrounds the headwaters of Lick Creek, a native trout stream which also harbors the endangered Tennessee dace, and extends to the summit ridge of Brushy Mountain to the south. The forest varies by elevation and aspect.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Virginia |
| Size | 3,329 acres |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.05° N, 81.34° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
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 1 federal campground within ten miles sits inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 385 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Trail ↗ | 384.9 |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 1.7 miBurke's Garden Central Church And Cemetery ↗Burke's Garden, VA
- 1.8 mi
- 8.6 miWynn, James, House ↗Tazewell, VA
- 8.7 miKimberling Lutheran Cemetery ↗Rural Retreat, VA
- 9.7 miTazewell Depot ↗Tazewell, VA
- 10.6 miRural Retreat Depot ↗Rural Retreat, VA
- 10.8 miSt. Clair, Alexander, House ↗Bluefield, VA
- 11.5 miSanders, Walter McDonald, House ↗Bluefield, VA
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.
Appalachian trail guide to Southwest VirginiaBill Prueschner and Mary Ann Prueschner, 2016Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Garden Mountain Wilderness?
3,329 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Garden Mountain Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Garden Mountain Wilderness in?
Virginia.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Garden Mountain Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2009.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Garden 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 Garden Mountain Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.055° N, 81.338° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Garden Mountain Wilderness?
The National Register has 23 listings within 15 miles, including Burke's Garden Central Church And Cemetery and Sharon Lutheran Church and Cemetery.
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.