Crawfish Valley, a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia, has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction.

Hikers traveling south enter the area at Tilson Gap and leave at the crest of Brushy Mountain.

The trail intersects with the Black Lick-Plaster Bank Turnpike 0.2 miles south of Tilson Gap.

The Appalachian Mountains were extensively timbered in the early twentieth century leaving logging roads that are becoming overgrown but still passable.

[6] Old logging roads and railroad grades can be located by consulting the historical topographic maps available from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The Crawfish Valley wild area is covered by USGS topographic maps Nebo, Rural Retreat, Big Bend, and Garden Mountain.

[3] Along Reed Creek there is a mature woodland with a hardwood forest on adjacent hillsides as well as meadows and marshland in low-lying areas.

The variety of features creates habitat for a great diversity of birds, with ruffed grouse, wild turkey, and a large number of warblers including northern parula, blue, black-and-white, Blackburnian, American redstart, ovenbird and common yellowthroat.

Monster Rock, located on the eastern end of the area, is a huge outcrop sticking out from the ridgetop of Walker Mountain.

[8] In the Scenic Area logging and road building are prohibited, but other activities, such as mountain biking, are allowed.

The rule provided some degree of protection by reducing the negative environmental impact of road construction and thus promoting the conservation of roadless areas.

[1] Since most of Crawfish Valley was inventoried in the roadless area review, it is protected from possible road construction and timber sales.