Peters Mountain Wilderness
Peters Mountain Wilderness, lying on the east slope of Peters Mountain, ranges in elevation from 3,956 feet on the mountaintop to a low of 2,300 on the southern border along Big Stony Creek. The vegetation is primarily upland oak with yellow poplar, red oak, and hickory. There are numerous sandstone outcroppings along the crest of the mountain and a number of high mountain bogs on Pine Swamp Ridge. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T., FT #1) travels about 1.5 miles from north to south near the middle of the area. Trail information is available on National Geographic-Trails Illustrated Map #787 (Blacksburg-New River Valley). Peters Mountain Wilderness is located in Giles County in southwest Virginia.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Virginia |
| Size | 4,520 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.42° N, 80.63° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 15) |
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
3 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 422 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Trail ↗ | 384.9 | |
| Allegheny Trail ↗ | 30.3 | |
| Dixon Branch ↗ | 6.6 |
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
- PrescribedArrowhead Trails Rx
49 mi from the center point · 195 acres
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
- 5.3 miJohnston, Andrew, House ↗Pearisburg, VA
- 5.3 miGiles County Courthouse ↗Pearisburg, VA
- 5.3 miPearisburg Historic District ↗Pearisburg, VA
- 5.7 miEstill, Wallace, Sr., House ↗Union, WV
- 6.1 miDry Pond School ↗Lindside, WV
- 7.1 miIndian Creek Covered Bridge ↗Salt Sulphur Springs, WV
- 7.6 miPeople's Bank of Eggleston, The ↗Eggleston, VA
- 7.6 miPyne, Q.m., Store ↗Eggleston, 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 Peters Mountain Wilderness?
4,520 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Peters Mountain Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Peters Mountain Wilderness in?
Virginia.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Peters Mountain Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Peters 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 Peters Mountain Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.419° N, 80.631° W. Bluestone National Scenic River is 20 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Peters Mountain Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Arrowhead Trails Rx at 49 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Peters Mountain Wilderness?
Bluestone National Scenic River (20 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Peters Mountain Wilderness?
The National Register has 24 listings within 15 miles, including Johnston, Andrew, House and Giles County Courthouse.
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.