Monongahelia National Forest

Dolly Sods, North Fork Mountain Trail, Otter Creek, Blackwater Fall State Park.

Quick Tips:

Go! The hiking is great. It is a huge Forest. There is mountain biking, rock climbing, camping, and fishing in the Forest.

Check out this book: Hiking Guide to Monongahela National Forest By Allen de Hart and Bruce Sundquist. I think it is on the 7th edition by now. It contains topo maps and good trail descriptions. It is widely available online or at an outfitters store.

A good overall map of the area is also very useful. The U.S. Forest Service has a good one: http://www.fs.fed.us/maps/.

There are no entrance fees to this National Forest.

Best Way To Get Around:

Drive. Although, be prepared for some long ups and downs and twists and turns in the mountains. The main highways are very good. There are truck pull-outs to make things easier. The drivers of the huge trucks I encountered were very polite and never dangerous.

This was my first trip to Monongahelia National Forest. There is a hiking guide available with good trail descriptions and topo maps. (See my Overview for the details on this book and maps.) I owned it for a couple of years, but never got to the Forest. I read about some of the trails in the Forest in Backpacker Magazine, too. I finally made a trip in late October of 2001. I was a little bit late for the fall colors. The higher elevations were already dark red and brown. But, it was still great hiking.

The Dolly Sods area reminded me of Maine - the low bushes and granite boulders. I hiked a couple of days in this area. I really enjoyed the wide open spaces and expansive views. I did not make it to all the trails. There are supposed to be some great cliffs in the middle of this area. I just did not have the time to get there. I think one is called "Lion's Head". There is a photo in the hiking guide.

One thing to watch out for is unexploded ordinance. The military used to use this area for practice. There are signs posted. But, I did not encounter anything while hiking.

The other thing to be careful about is the road. It is a narrow two-lane dirt and gravel road up the mountain. There are no guard rails. I drove it in a Honda Civic with no problems, but I would not do it if it had rained or snowed a lot. I think 4-wheel drive would be needed if the weather was bad.

This is a place I definitely plan to return to. I would like to bring some of my hiking friends here.

This is a hiking trail along a beautiful creek surrounded by mountains. The rocks in the river really make it beautiful.

I hiked a couple of miles in to this area. I think the trail is over 20 miles. It also connects to other trails in this area of the Forest.

I guess if there must be something to watch out for, it would be the cable suspension bridge that you need to cross to get to the trail. The bridge goes over a larger river that Otter Creek empties in to. If you are scared of heights, you might have some problems with this bridge. It does sway a little bit, but did not feel unsafe at all.

I had a great time hiking on this trail. I enjoy taking pictures along creeks in general. So, I enjoyed taking some photos along this trail. Even though most of the trees were past there peak color, there were still a few good ones. I got some good reflections in the current. There are also number of large boulders in the creek, which made for some good photos. (I am sorry. I do not have a digital camera or scanner.)

This is a relatively easy hike. If you go down to the creek, be careful around the rocks. They can be slippery. But, the trail itself is flat and easy to walk.

(See my Overview for the details on a good guidebook and maps.)

I read about this trail in Backpacker Magazine. Someone described it as one of the best hikes in the Eastern U.S.. There are a lot of trails I have not hiked in the Eastern U.S.. So, I cannot make this claim. But, I definitely think that this is a really, really, REALLY GOOD hike. It definitely lived up to the hipe.

I started at the northern end. The whole trail is about 25 miles. You have to hike more than a mile up to the ridgeline. It is not an easy day-hike. Once you get up to the top, the trail follows the ridgeline. The views across the valleys are spectacular. There are a lot of fantastic rock formations along the ridgeline. I watched hawks and turkey vultures take off and soar.

I hiked the whole day. I hiked about 5 miles along the ridgeline. I ate my lunch with my feet dangling over the edge of the cliff.

It may be stupid to say this but: Don't fall off the edge of the cliffs! There are no fences along this trail. If you go near the edge, be careful. I can only try to relate this to visiting the Grand Canyon. At both places, you can forget about the edge because you are so caught up in the beautful views, you don't realize that you are too far out.

Another thing to consider it the weather. You have to hike up from the bottom of the mountain through forests where it is sheltered from the winds. Bring a few layers in a daypack. I was happy that I did.

Part of the trail was blocked off when I did my hike. There was about a mile detour away from the cliff face. I think it was for nesting raptors. The posted signs only stated that it was for species protection. No problem. There were plenty of miles along the edge.

This is not an easy dayhike. The trail can be rocky and rough. You need good hiking boots other wise you could easily twist an ankle or stubb your toes very badly. But, the effort is worth the payout.

I would like to return again. As I mentioned in my other entries about Monongahelia National Forest, I made my trip in late October, so the trees were past their peak colors. I would like to do this hike when the trees are green or in their peak colors.

(See my Overview for the details on a good guidebook and maps.)

I did a side trip to this State Park while hiking in the National Forest. I am glad that I did. The Falls are really terrific. The day I visited, it was raining. But, it was still a good visit.

The hike to the Falls is not too far. It is downhill. The wooden steps might be slippery. I think it is wheelchair accessable.

There seemed to be a lot of camping area in this Park. It is not a "wild" park, but, definitely worth a visit. The people at the visitors center were very friendly.