Rough Mountain Wilderness

Rough Mountain Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the Warm Springs Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The wilderness area is located on Rough Mountain and consists of 9,300 acres (38 km2). Rough Mountain Wilderness ranges in elevation from 1,150 feet (351 m) to 2,842 feet (866 m) at Griffin Knob. The area has only one established hiking trail within its boundaries, and is characterized by steep slopes heading up to the ridgeline of Rough Mountain.
Recreation
Rough Mountain Wilderness is so difficult to access that it never receives much use other than during hunting season. In addition, the only reliable water sources exist just outside of the Wilderness’s boundaries and there are few flat spots suitable for camping. The only established trail in the Rough Mountain Wilderness, the Crane Trail, starts from possibly “the most remote trailhead” in the George Washington National Forest. The trail...