The wilderness area was established in 1988 and consists of 5,382 acres (2,178 ha) of forests in the Appalachian Mountains ranging in elevation from 1,700 to 3,800 feet (520 to 1,160 m).

Located about five miles north of New Castle, Virginia, the wilderness is bounded on the west by the crest of Potts Mountain, on the east by Barbour’s Creek and Va 617, and on the south by Forest Service Road 176.

[6] Another view of the wilderness is gained by hiking along the Potts Mountain Jeep Trail beginning at trailheads on either FS 176 or Va 617.

[4][6] In April, 2012, a wind-swept fire, originating on the Potts Mountain Jeep Trail, burned a large section of the wilderness, destroying the canopy along the tops of side-ridges and leaving scarred trees still present today.

[2] There is a bald of about fifty acres in size, just outside the western boundary, on the top of Potts Mountain with extensive views.