USFS · West Virginia

Laurel Fork North Wilderness

Although sometimes listed as two areas, Laurel Fork Wilderness straddles the Laurel Fork of the Cheat River and only the corridor of County Route 40 separates the northern and southern portions. The narrow...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Laurel Fork North Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateWest Virginia
Size6,048 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1983, by Congress
Center point38.7778, -79.6555
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 Laurel Fork North Wilderness20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 4.45 inches of precipitation, 27.3 inches of snowFebruary: 3.98 inches of precipitation, 24.0 inches of snowMarch: 4.80 inches of precipitation, 17.5 inches of snowApril: 5.19 inches of precipitation, 4.3 inches of snowMay: 6.24 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 5.04 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 5.66 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 4.11 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 4.52 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.68 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowNovember: 3.34 inches of precipitation, 8.0 inches of snowDecember: 4.28 inches of precipitation, 20.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 25.4°F averageFebruary: 27.8°F averageMarch: 35.2°F averageApril: 46.2°F averageMay: 55.1°F averageJune: 62.7°F averageJuly: 66.4°F averageAugust: 65.5°F averageSeptember: 59.3°F averageOctober: 48.3°F averageNovember: 37.6°F averageDecember: 29.9°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Glady 1 N, 4 miles from the center point at 2,840 feet, station USC00463464 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 55 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 103 inches a year on the same inches scale.

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. 7 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

2 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 11 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Laurel Fork North9.4
Stone Camp Run1.4

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 · 23 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Laurel Fork North Wilderness?

6,048 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Laurel Fork North Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Laurel Fork North Wilderness in?

West Virginia.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Laurel Fork North Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1983.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Laurel Fork North Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Laurel Fork Campground, 0.3 miles out. 7 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

How do I get to Laurel Fork North Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 38.778, -79.656. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Laurel Fork North 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

Are there historic places near Laurel Fork North Wilderness?

23 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Glady Presbyterian Church and Manse and Middle Mountain Cabins.

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.