Garden Mountain Wilderness

Garden Mountain Wilderness is a 3,331-acre protected area in western Virginia within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Designated federal wilderness in 2009, it adjoins nearby wilderness areas, touches the Appalachian Trail, and lies beside Burke's Garden. Its ridges, steep drainages, headwaters of Lick Creek, and old trail routes reflect the Ridge and Valley landscape of the central Appalachians. Though logging and burning in the late 1800s and early 1900s altered much of the forest, significant possible old growth remains. Managed to preserve its undeveloped character, the area supports diverse forests, beaver wetlands, and notable wildlife, including the endangered Tennessee dace.

Gratton, Virginia · United States