USFS · Virginia

Kimberling Creek Wilderness

Kimberling Creek Wilderness is a remote headwaters area containing no maintained trails. Kimberling Creek, fed by Kimberling Springs by way of Sulphur Spring Fork, touches the southernmost portion of the area. The Wilderness lies at its lowest elevation on the creek at 2,282 feet and rises to 3,200 feet in the northern portion on Hogback Mountain. Most of the terrain is steep and dissected. There are no system trails within this Wilderness. The area contains mixed hardwoods with white and yellow pine scattered throughout, and an understory of dogwood, sourwood, red maple, mountain laurel, and rhododendron. Kimberling Creek Wilderness is located in Bland County in southwest Virginia.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness6,154 acresUSFSVADesignated 19842 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Kimberling Creek Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateVirginia
Size6,154 acres
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point37.18° N, 81.07° W
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14)

Boundary map

2 outlines

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Kimberling Creek Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°January: 3.45 inches of precipitation, 8.6 inches of snowFebruary: 3.07 inches of precipitation, 7.0 inches of snowMarch: 4.14 inches of precipitation, 4.2 inches of snowApril: 3.87 inches of precipitation, 0.9 inches of snowMay: 4.38 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 4.26 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 4.01 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.67 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.61 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.75 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowNovember: 2.50 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowDecember: 3.62 inches of precipitation, 5.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.5°F averageFebruary: 34.1°F averageMarch: 40.8°F averageApril: 50.0°F averageMay: 58.6°F averageJune: 66.0°F averageJuly: 69.8°F averageAugust: 68.7°F averageSeptember: 62.8°F averageOctober: 52.2°F averageNovember: 41.9°F averageDecember: 34.9°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Bland, 6 miles from the center point at 2,000 feet, station USC00440792 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 43 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 27 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 2 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 · 7.6 mi
Walnut Flats Campground
First-comeVA
FS · 8.5 mi
White Cedar Horse Camp
First-comeVA

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Scenic River · 25 mi
Bluestone National Scenic River
National Register listings within 15 miles · 22 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 Kimberling Creek Wilderness?

6,154 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Kimberling Creek Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Kimberling Creek Wilderness in?

Virginia.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Kimberling Creek Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Kimberling 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 Kimberling Creek Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 37.183° N, 81.070° W. Bluestone National Scenic River is 25 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Which national parks are near Kimberling Creek Wilderness?

Bluestone National Scenic River (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Kimberling Creek Wilderness?

The National Register has 22 listings within 15 miles, including Wolf Creek Bridge and First Baptist Church of Bluefield.

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.