Beartown Wilderness
Beartown Wilderness is a steep, remote and rugged area, particularly at the heads of its drainages. It ranges in elevation from 2,400 to 4,480 feet. The principal streams are Roaring Fork, Barkcamp Branch...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Virginia |
| Size | 5,613 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.0631, -81.4355 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 3 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Roaring Fork | 3 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 3.8 miBurke's Garden Central Church And Cemetery ↗Burke's Garden, VA
- 4 mi
- 4.2 miWynn, James, House ↗Tazewell, VA
- 5.5 miTazewell Depot ↗Tazewell, VA
- 7.6 miChimney Rock Farm ↗Tazewell, VA
- 10.3 miSt. Clair, Alexander, House ↗Bluefield, VA
- 11 miKimberling Lutheran Cemetery ↗Rural Retreat, VA
- 11.5 miMoore, Capt. James, Homestead ↗Boissevain, VA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Beartown Wilderness?
5,613 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Beartown Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Beartown Wilderness in?
Virginia.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Beartown Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Beartown Wilderness?
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Beartown Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.063, -81.436. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Beartown Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 14 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Beartown Wilderness?
23 National Register 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.