Mountain Lake Wilderness
Mountain Lake Wilderness is a 16,525-acre wilderness area in Giles County, Virginia. It rises from about 1,835 to 4,140 ft. The nearest town is Pembroke, 6.3 miles away in a straight line.
Mountain Lake Wilderness map
Mountain Lake Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Agency fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
County and local burn bans may also apply on private, state, or county land nearby. On federal land, follow the land manager's order; off it, follow the strictest county or local rule that applies. When both touch your trip, obey both.
Common questions
- Pembroke, VA is the nearest town, 6.3 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Mountain Lake Wilderness is about 4,140 ft, and its lowest about 1,835 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Wind Rock, about 4,106 ft.
Who manages Mountain Lake Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 16,525 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Eastern Divide Ranger District, 540-552-4641 |
Getting to Mountain Lake Wilderness
- Pembroke, VA is the nearest town, 6.3 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)
Trailheads at Mountain Lake Wilderness
- Wind Rock Trailhead (inside the boundary, 4,091 ft), at 37.4139, -80.5178
- Kelly Knob Trailhead (0.06 mi outside the boundary, 3,248 ft), at 37.3728, -80.4464 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- War Spur Loop Trailhead (forest Trail #6 (0.06 mi outside the boundary, 3,705 ft), at 37.3906, -80.5083
- Sartin Trailhead (0.21 mi outside the boundary, 2,083 ft), at 37.3878, -80.4694
- Bald Knob Trailhead (0.65 mi outside the boundary, 3,900 ft), at 37.3549, -80.5387 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-30. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Trailheads mapped on OpenStreetMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License , accessed 2026-09-30. The extract used here, with distances from the boundary: osm-trailheads-va.json. Where an agency layer lists the same trailhead, the agency's point is shown instead.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Mountain Lake Wilderness
- Wind Rock summit
- Lone Pine Peak summit
- Kire Mountain summit
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-30. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.
Public lands next to Mountain Lake Wilderness
- National forestMountain Lake Wilderness lies inside George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.
- National Park Service unitAppalachian National Scenic Trail, a National Park Service unit, is 1.5 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Virginia
- wilderness.net (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- apps.fs.usda.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- openstreetmap.org (accessed 2026-09-30)
The sentences on this page are generated by software from the sourced records above, not written by hand. How this content is made.