Description:
Dolly Sods Wilderness has 47 miles of trails within 17,371 acres. The southern part of the wilderness includes some of the open boggy areas similar to what is found just to the north, but is mostly spruce and hardwood forests with rhododendron laurel thickets and rock outcroppings. Red Creek drops sharply in the steep canyon to provide swimming holes and waterfalls. The northern part of the wilderness (formerly Dolly Sods North) is high-elevation plateau, wind-swept and boggy. Patches of native red spruce, alder, maple, and mountain ash mingle with plantations of pine, upland heath, and sphagnum bogs. The area is generally open, with wide-spreading vistas. Huckleberries and cranberries are common in the heath and bog areas. Brochure (pdf) Map (pdf)
Stories:
Directions:
Dolly Sods is part of the Monongahela National Forest located in Eastern West Virginia. There are seven trailheads that are accessible from Forest Rds. 19 and 75. The two most popular are Laneville (Google Map directions below) and Blackbird Knob Trailhead (just north of the Red Creek Campground). An alternative access to the wilderness is from the southern part of Canaan Valley NWR on FR 80 (access from Freeland Rd). A permit must be obtained to park here overnight.
Activities:
Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Sight Seeing, Cross Country Skiing, Swimming Holes
Address:
(Office location) Potomac Ranger District, HC 59, Box 240, Petersburg, WV 26847, 1.5 miles south of Petersburg off Rt. 28/55
Phone/Email:
304-257-4488 (Voice & TDD), 304-636-1800 – Mon. National Forest
Web resources:
Dolly Sods Wilderness – MNF site
Resources:
Books – “Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide”, “Out There West Virginia A Guide to Backcountry Travel and Adventure”, “West Virginia Hiking Trails”