Brush Mountain Wilderness

Brush Mountain Wilderness lies north of and in close proximity to Blacksburg. It extends for 8 miles along the northwest slope of Brush Mountain, bounded to the east by a power line, to the northwest by Craig Creek and private property, and to the southeast by Forest road 188.1 along the crest of the mountain.

Brush Mountain is capped by a resistant layer of Devonian sandstone, with the underlying shales giving rise to a series of steep ridges and deep coves along the northern slope. The lower slopes are well forested with a great variety of species: tulip tree, sugar maple, northern red oak, white oak, basswood, red maple, cucumber tree, white ash, and white pine. On the higher parallel ridge slopes, Virginia pine and Table Mountain pine predominate on the southwestern sides, while chestnut oak and scarlet oak are found on the northeastern sides. The area was largely cut over about 100 years ago, but the forest is rapidly maturing.

Despite its location adjacent to the suburbs, Brush Mountain is surprisingly remote. The area looks out across Craig Creek to the slopes of Sinking Creek Mountain, offering hunter and hiker a feeling of wilderness solitude. There are no trails in this wilderness.