Ramseys Draft Wilderness
A "draft," according to local custom, is a creek or stream. This Wilderness is named after its main drainage, a native eastern brook trout stream. Ramseys Draft Wilderness is a rugged and steep piece of land on the eastern side of Shenandoah Mountain, a region filled with memories of America's Civil War. Among the variety of plants you may see are some virgin hardwoods and hemlocks standing in the upper elevations and a more typical Appalachian forest of tulip poplar, red oak, and basswood in the remainder of the area. Eight trails totaling 24 miles lie within or along the border of this Wilderness. Trail information is available on National Geographic-Trails Illustrated Map #791 (Staunton-Shenandoah Mtn).
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Virginia |
| Size | 6,577 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 38.34° N, 79.33° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11) |
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
8 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 95 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Shenandoah Mountain ↗ | 43.4 | |
| Wild Oak ↗ | 27.3 | |
| Bald Ridge ↗ | 7.8 | |
| Ramseys Draft ↗ | 7.5 | |
| Jerrys Run ↗ | 4.6 | |
| Bridge Hollow | 2.1 | |
| Hiner Springs | 1.4 | |
| Hardscrabble | 0.5 |
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
- 6.5 miMcDowell Presbyterian Church ↗McDowell, VA
- 6.5 miCrab Run Lane Truss Bridge ↗McDowell, VA
- 6.7 miMansion House ↗McDowell, VA
- 8.2 miDeerfield School ↗Deerfield, VA
- 9 miBowers House ↗Sugar Grove, WV
- 9.3 miMt. Zion Schoolhouse ↗Mt. Solon, VA
- 11.6 miIntervale ↗Swoope, VA
- 12.1 miNorth River High School ↗Moscow, 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 Ramseys Draft Wilderness?
6,577 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Ramseys Draft Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Ramseys Draft Wilderness in?
Virginia.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Ramseys Draft Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Ramseys Draft 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 Ramseys Draft Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.344° N, 79.334° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Ramseys Draft Wilderness?
The National Register has 15 listings within 15 miles, including McDowell Presbyterian Church and Crab Run Lane Truss Bridge.
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.