Raccoon Branch Wilderness
Raccoon Branch Wilderness is located in Smyth County in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in southwest Virginia. It contains extremely rugged country rising to a height of 4,000 feet on the high...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Virginia |
| Size | 4,225 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.7391, -81.4593 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
Boundary map
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
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
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 6 more 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
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 RV camping. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miRaccoon Branch Campground ↗RV camping · mid-April to late-November
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
7 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 472 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Trail ↗ | 384.9 | |
| Virginia Highlands ↗ | 80.8 | |
| Mullins Branch | 2.5 | |
| Dickey Knob | 2.3 | |
| Bobbys | 0.8 | |
| Hickory Ridge | 0.6 | |
| Raccoon Branch | 0.2 |
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
- 5 miThomas, Abijah, House ↗Marion, VA
- 6 mi
- 6.1 mi
- 6.1 miGreer, R. T., and Company ↗Marion, VA
- 6.1 miHotel Lincoln ↗Marion, VA
- 6.2 miMarion Male Academy ↗Marion, VA
- 6.2 miLincoln Theatre ↗Marion, VA
- 7 miNorfolk & Western Railway Depot ↗Marion, VA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Raccoon Branch Wilderness?
4,225 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Raccoon Branch Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Raccoon Branch Wilderness in?
Virginia.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Raccoon Branch Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2009.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Raccoon Branch Wilderness?
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Raccoon Branch Campground. 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
Where are the trailheads in Raccoon Branch Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 rv campground. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Raccoon Branch Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.739, -81.459. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Raccoon Branch 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 Raccoon Branch Wilderness?
21 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Thomas, Abijah, House and Henderson Building, Southwestern State Hospital.
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.