USFS · Virginia

Lewis Fork Wilderness

Lewis Fork Wilderness lies within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. It includes Mount Rogers itself which is Virginia's highest point at 5,729 feet. The Wilderness is part of what is known as the "Mount Rogers High Country." Vegetation includes northern hardwoods with spruce/fir habitat at the higher elevations. Lewis Fork of Fox Creek contains native trout. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T., FT #1) passes through the northeast portion of Lewis Fork and then weaves in and out of the area along the southern boundary for a total of about 5.5 miles within the Wilderness. There is a total of 28 miles of trail within the Wilderness and several trails have use restrictions.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness6,071 acresUSFSVADesignated 19846 campgrounds within 10 mi18 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Lewis Fork Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateVirginia
Size6,071 acres
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point36.67° N, 81.55° 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

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 Lewis Fork Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°January: 3.91 inches of precipitation, 4.3 inches of snowFebruary: 3.28 inches of precipitation, 3.3 inches of snowMarch: 4.06 inches of precipitation, 2.9 inches of snowApril: 4.78 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 5.34 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 4.44 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 4.79 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 4.65 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 4.35 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.71 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 3.61 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowDecember: 4.03 inches of precipitation, 3.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 32.6°F averageFebruary: 35.3°F averageMarch: 41.4°F averageApril: 49.7°F averageMay: 58.2°F averageJune: 65.7°F averageJuly: 69.5°F averageAugust: 68.4°F averageSeptember: 62.7°F averageOctober: 52.0°F averageNovember: 42.0°F averageDecember: 35.7°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Jefferson 2 E, 18 miles from the center point at 2,759 feet, station USC00314496 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 51 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 14 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 2,400 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

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 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.

FS · 0.2 mi
Grindstone
Reservable136 sites
FS · 0.4 mi
Fox Creek Horse Camp
Reservable22 sites
FS · 1 mi
Old Virginia Group Horse Camp
Reservable1 site
FS · 2.3 mi
Hurricane Campground
Reservable27 sites
FS · 3.5 mi
Beartree
Reservable132 sites
FS · 5.8 mi
Raccoon Branch Campground
Reservable20 sites

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

18 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 508 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Appalachian Trail ↗384.9
Virginia Highlands ↗80.8
Pine Mountain ↗12.8
Lewis Fork ↗5.6
Mount Rogers ↗4.1
Crest4
Helton Creek3.4
Grassy Branch3.2
Sugar Maple2.4
Orchard Spur1.7

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

National Register listings within 15 miles · 23 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 Lewis Fork Wilderness?

6,071 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Lewis Fork Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Lewis Fork Wilderness in?

Virginia.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Lewis Fork Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Lewis Fork 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 Lewis Fork Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 36.665° N, 81.547° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Are there historic places near Lewis Fork Wilderness?

The National Register has 23 listings within 15 miles, including Thomas, Abijah, House and Waddell, William, House.

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.