Beartown Wilderness

Beartown Wilderness is a remote protected backcountry area in southwestern Virginia within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Created by the Virginia Wilderness Act of 1984 from existing national forest land, it spans 5,613 rugged acres between Clinch Mountain and Chestnut Ridge, with steep slopes, swift streams, limited foot-only access, and part of the Appalachian Trail along its edge. Its seclusion has helped preserve striking views, old-growth stands, and rich ecological diversity, including varied forest types, rare plants, northern wildlife, and the Beartown beetle, found nowhere else. The area also holds remnants of past aircraft crashes, including a World War II-era P-51D Mustang.

Gratton, Virginia · United States