West Virginia - Monongahela National Forest North
And Surrounding Parks

 

Maps:

• Software - Topo! Mid-Atlantic

• Monongahela National Forest, WV, USDA FSM, AGO.  1994

• Seneca Creak, Stream Guide, MNF, USDA FSM, AGO.  1993

• Dolly Sods Wilderness, MNF, USDA FSM

• Canaan Valley Adventure Map by Canaan Valley Resort Guest Services, Waterproof.  Covers Dolly Sods, Otter Creak,  Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley State Park.

• http://www.wvstateparks.com/ - very good *.pdf maps of most WV state parks.
• http://www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/WMA_Maps.shtm - same for WMAs
• Other sources: White Grass Cross-Country Ski Area has it's own map.  There is a bog nearby which has it's own one.

Books:

• Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide, Allen de Hart and Bruce Sundquist, 2001.  Get the latest edition from West Virginia Highlands Conservancy web site.  Get both hard and soft copy.

• Day and overnight hikes in WV’s Monongahela Nat. Forest, Johnny Molloy, 2000. 

• Hiking WV. A Falcon Guide, Steven Carroll & Mark Miller, 2003. 

• Waterfalls of VA and WV – a Hiking and Photography Guide, Kevin Adams, 2001. 

• 50 Hikes In West Virginia, from the Allegheny Mtns to the Ohio River, Leonard M. Adkins, 2005

• Hiking Guide to the Allegheny Tr., 3d. ed., Roger Raikes, West Virginia Scenic Trail Association, 2003

Notes:

• Bears have attacked campers in Dolly Sods!  Try to avoid common campsites.
• Most trails in MNF are poorly blazed and the intersections have signs either in bad shape or destroyed completely.  Have a good GPS and maps when hiking there.  The first book in the list (Allen de Hart and Bruce Sundquist) is the only source of current trails and good maps!
• This page is organized not by date, but rather by locations

 

Hike 1.  Dolly Sods from the Red Creek Campground

 

 

Club: Don't remember

Date: 06/24/2002

Parking: Good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: DollySods_RedCreekCampGround_GPS20020624.tpo

Note: the trip lasted 3 days

 

Hike 2.  Dolly Sods And Roaring Plains

 

 

Club: West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Jonathan Jessup leading

Date: 07/07/2002

Parking: Don't remember for Fisher's Bog.  For Roaring Plains the start parking is good, the end is not so good - shoulder parking on a narrow road

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: DollySods_RoaringPlains_GPS20020707.tpo

Notes: First profile is the loop around Fisher's Bog, second is the incomplete track of the Roaring Plains hike.  The trip lasted 3 days

Warnings: Part of the Roaring Plains trace is missing

 

Hike 3.  Dolly Sods North

 

 

Club: Me leading for MWROP

Date: 10/04-05/2003

Parking: good.

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: DollySodsNorth_GPS20031004_5.tpo

Description File: DollySodsNorth_GPS20031004_5.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: DollySodsNorth_GPS20031004_5.gtm

Photo Album:  DollySodsNorth_GPS20031004_5CBirkett - Clay Birkett's photos

 

Hike 4.  Dolly Sods

 

 

Club: me leading for MWROP

Date: 10/09-10/2004

Parking: good in both places

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: DollySods_GPS20041009_10.tpo

Description File: DollySods_GPS20041009_10.doc; DollySods_GPS20041009_10MMcGee.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: DollySods_GPS20041009_10.gtm

Photo Album: DollySods_GPS20041009_10

Notes: First Trip to Stack Rocks, then Main Backpack in the Dolly Sods

 

Hike 5.  Roaring Plains

 

 

Club: Jonathan Jessup for West Virginia Highlands Conservancy

Date: 07/04/2003

Parking: High clearance car preferable.  From Petersburg, WV take Rt. 28 SW, Turn R. on Co. Highway 28/7, At the first split stay on the left at Public Road 19.  Stay on Rt. 19 keeping left on all the junctions till the Start of the hike.   To reach the end of the hike continue on Rt. 19, at the split turn left to Co. Highway 45, pass Laneville, very soon right after the church turn left on Flatrock Run Rd and immediately right at Co. Highway 32/2.   The trail ends at a large farm with several farm houses.  There is no parking, so park on the curb of the road.

Trails: 517 South prong Tr, Canyon Rim Tr. (Hinting unblazed tr.), 548 Roaring Plains Tr, Old Trails to Haystack Knob and back, bushwhacking to Mt. Porte Crayon, 519 Flatrock Run Tr.

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: RoaringPlains_GPS20030704.tpo

Printable map: RoaringPlains_GPS20030704Overview.GIF; RoaringPlains_GPS20030704Map1.GIF; RoaringPlains_GPS20030704Map2.GIF; RoaringPlains_GPS20030704Map3.GIF

Waypoints Text File: RoaringPlains_GPS20030704Waypoints.txt

Description File: RoaringPlains_GPS20030704.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: RoaringPlains_GPS20030704.gtm

Note: The trip lasted 3 days

Warning: This backpack is strenuous despite its relatively small elevation gain.  It requires good navigating skills.  The reward is breathtaking views and splendid mountain streams

 

Hike 6.  Otter Creek

 

 

Club: Peter Shoenfeld for West Virginia Highlands Conservancy

Date: 04/12/2003

Parking: both good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: OtterCreek_GPS20030412.tpo

Description File: OtterCreek_GPS20030412.doc; OtterCreek_GPS20030412EShereda.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: OtterCreek_GPS20030412.gtm

Note: The trip lasted two days.

Warnings:  It's impossible to go to Otter Creek without getting your feet wet.  Nevertheless the place has spectacular overlooks, streams and bogs, so the trip is well worth it. 

 

Hike 7.  Otter Creek

 

 

Club: Eric Shereda for West Virginia Highlands Conservancy

Date: 05/29-31/2004

Parking: Good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: OtterCreek_GPS20040529_31.tpo; OtterCreek_GPS20040529_31SBurns.tpo

GPS TrackMaker Trace: OtterCreek_GPS20040529_31.gtm

Photo Album: OtterCreek_GPS20040529_31

Notes: I have only the 1st half of the trace, and Shelley - only the 2d.  On Shelley's Trace section 017 - 018 was severely overgrown with bushes and we had to bushwhack to the trail 100 - 015.  Don't try to do that loop.

Warnings: see above

 

Hike 8.  North Fork Mountain Trail

 

 

Club: Jeff Testerman for PATC

Date: 07/19/2007

Parking: both good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: NorthForkMtnTrail_GPS20020719.tpo

Notes: One of the most scenic backpacks out there.  Best be done this way with 3 cars, since there is no water on the trail and it's nice to spend the evening of the 1st day near the river.  The trip was actually 2 days.

Warnings: Cars are often vandalized on the Northern Parking.

 

Hike 9.  Seneca Creek - Spruce Knob

 

 

Club: Ted Fryberger leadingfor MWROP

Date: 07/02-04/2005

Parking: both good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: SenecaCreek_SpruceKnob_GPS20050702_04.tpo

Description File: SenecaCreek_SpruceKnob_GPS20050702_04.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: SenecaCreek_SpruceKnob_GPS20050702_04.gtm

Photo Album: SenecaCreek_SpruceKnob_GPS20050702_04.html

Notes: It's very well worth it exploring the old abandoned trails in this area.

Warnings: one guy got killed in the swimming hole under the Seneca Falls, probably from the underwater currents.  Be careful jumping from the cliff!

 

Hike 10.  Seneca Creek - Spruce Knob

 

 

Club: me leading for MWROP

Date: 07/29-31/2005

Parking: both good

Topo! PA Trace: SenecaCreek_SpruceKnob_GPS20050729_31.tpo

GPS TrackMaker Trace: SenecaCreek_SpruceKnob_GPS20050729_31.gtm

Photo Album: SenecaCreek_SpruceKnob_GPS20050729_31

Notes: Little Italy is not even the size of a village -there is not even a gas station there

Warnings: external antenna's cable attached to my GPS broke down and thus the trace has a lot of skipped sections due to poor reception

 

Hike 11.  Laurel Fork Trail

 

 

Club: me leading for MWROP

Date: 06/10-11/2006

Parking: both good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: LaurelForkTr_GPS20060610_11.tpo

Description File: LaurelForkTr_GPS20060610_11.doc

Garmin MapSource Trace: LaurelForkTr_GPS20060610_11.gdb

Photo Album: LaurelForkTr_GPS20060610_11

Notes: Very hard to find the trace on this trip even though it's always next to the river.  Other then that, the hike is very pretty and relaxing

Warnings: Have a very detailed GPS trace showing what side of the river you should be on at what time.

 

 

Hike 12.  Skiing at the White Grass

 

 

Club: Phil and me scouting

Date: 01/20-21/2007

Parking: Good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21.tpo

Description File: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21.gtm

Garmin MapSource Trace: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21.gdb

Google Earth Trace: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21.kmz

Photo Album: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21

Notes: Day one and day two are two independent loop traces

Warnings: It's very important to buy the most expensive ski wax (we bought German one after the miserable first day when our skis were glued to the snow).  With temperatures close to melting and above, only the wax can keep the skis sliding on the snow.

 

 

Hike 13.  Swallow Falls SP.  Fairfax Stone SP.  Blackwater Falls SP.  “Falling Water” by Frank Lloyd Wright.  Sidling Rock.

All Waterfall Trip.

 

 

Club: me scouting with friends from Russia

Date: 07/27-29/2007

Parking: good everywhere

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: SwallowFallsSP_FairfaxStone_BlackwaterFallsSP_GPS20070727_29.tpo

Description File: SwallowFallsSP_FairfaxStone_BlackwaterFallsSP_GPS20070727_29.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: SwallowFallsSP_FairfaxStone_BlackwaterFallsSP_GPS20070727_29.gtm

Garmin MapSource Trace: SwallowFallsSP_FairfaxStone_BlackwaterFallsSP_GPS20070727_29.gdb

Universal GPS Format: SwallowFallsSP_FairfaxStone_BlackwaterFallsSP_GPS20070728.gpx

Photo Album: SwallowFallsSP_FairfaxStone_BlackwaterFallsSP_GPS20070727_29

Notes: several short hikes - each less than 3 miles, spectacular views everywhere.  This hike covers place in MD, WV, and PA, largest being in WV.

Warnings: our mistake was not making hotel reservations near the Falling Water...