West Virginia - Monongahela National Forest North
And Surrounding Parks

Page 2

 

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 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

Universal GPX format from Topo!: LaurelForkTr_GPS20060610_11_tpo.gpx

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.  X-Skiing at the White Grass, Skiing at Timberline, Overlooks of the Blackwater Falls,
Overlook of the Mount Storm Lake

 

 

Club: Phil and me scouting; Misha, his grandson David and me scouting

Date: 01/20-21/2007; 01/19-20/2009

Parking: Good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21.tpo; CanaanValleySkiing_GPS20090119_20.tpo; CanaanValleySkiing_GPS20090119_20Driving.tpo

Universal GPX format from Topo!: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21_tpo.gpx; CanaanValleySkiing_GPS20090119_20_tpo.gpx; CanaanValleySkiing_GPS20090119_20Driving_tpo.gpx

Description File: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21.doc; CanaanValleySkiing_GPS20090119_20.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21.gtm; CanaanValleySkiing_GPS20090119_20.gtm

Garmin MapSource Trace: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21.gdb; CanaanValleySkiing_GPS20090119_20.gdb

Google Earth Trace: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21.kmz

Universal GPS Format: CanaanValleySkiing_GPS20090119.gpx; ..\AB_WestVirginia\MonongahelaNFNorth\CanaanValleySkiing_GPS20090119_20Driving.gpx

Photo Album: WhiteGrassSki_GPS20070120_21;  CanaanValleySkiing_GPS20090119_20

Notes: Day one and day two are two independent loop traces.  For the second trip, we spent 1st day at White Grass, 2d day at Timberline, and 3d day at Blackwater Falls SP and Mount Storm Lake, sriving home on a scenic route.  I put the skiing traces as well as driving 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.  It's very important to drive slowly after getting off the interstate - there are patches of slippery snow and we almost got ourselves killed when our car lost control on one of them.

 

 

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

Universal GPX format from Topo!: SwallowFallsSP_FairfaxStone_BlackwaterFallsSP_GPS20070727_29_tpo.gpx

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...