USFS · Kentucky

Beaver Creek Wilderness

The Beaver Creek Wilderness is a secluded hardwood forest in southern Kentucky, and is located within the boundaries of the Beaver Creek Wildlife Management Area. The wilderness is almost totally enclosed...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Beaver Creek Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateKentucky
Size4,816 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1975, by Congress
Center point36.9013, -84.4393
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12)

Boundary map

21 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

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 Beaver Creek Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 4.78 inches of precipitationFebruary: 4.46 inches of precipitationMarch: 5.17 inches of precipitationApril: 4.69 inches of precipitationMay: 5.51 inches of precipitationJune: 5.25 inches of precipitationJuly: 6.12 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.67 inches of precipitationSeptember: 3.65 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.27 inches of precipitationNovember: 3.76 inches of precipitationDecember: 5.75 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 34.5°F averageFebruary: 37.1°F averageMarch: 45.7°F averageApril: 54.7°F averageMay: 63.6°F averageJune: 70.5°F averageJuly: 74.4°F averageAugust: 73.1°F averageSeptember: 67.0°F averageOctober: 55.4°F averageNovember: 44.8°F averageDecember: 37.6°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Stearns 2S, 16 miles from the center point at 1,220 feet, station USC00157677 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 56 inches a year.

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 →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 8 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 2

The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 big Game Hunting, 1 day hiking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

7 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 15 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Middle Ridge7
Upper Bowman2.9
Bowman Ridge1.5
Three Forks of Beaver Loop1.5
Upper Bowman A1
Three Forks of Beaver Overlook0.5
Three Forks Spur0.2

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

National Register listings within 15 miles · 27 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Beaver Creek Wilderness?

4,816 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Beaver Creek Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Beaver Creek Wilderness in?

Kentucky.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Beaver Creek Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1975.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Beaver Creek Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Little Lick Campground, 2 miles out. 8 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Beaver Creek Wilderness?

The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites here, including 1 big game hunting and 1 day hiking. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Beaver Creek Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 36.901, -84.439. Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument is 18 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Beaver Creek Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 12 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Beaver Creek Wilderness?

Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument (18 mi) and Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Beaver Creek Wilderness?

27 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Wartburg Presbyterian Church and Burnside Lodge.

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.