Description:
This area includes 12,376 acres of land with 17.2 miles of trails. Much of this area is a high elevation windswept plateau with spruce forests, heath/laurel thickets and some spectacular vistas. The highest point in the area is Mt. Port Crayon at 4770. With the North Fork valley below at less than 2000 ft. in elevation, this is the area with the most vertical relief in WV. Solitude is more common here than nearby Dolly Sods. This area has now been split in two (boundaries) because Roaring Plains West has been designated a wilderness and the eastern section is still backcountry. Highlands Conservancy Trail Map, US Forest Service Map
Stories:
Directions:
Roaring Plains is located in Eastern West Virginia immediately adjacent to the Dolly Sods Wilderness. There are five trailheads, with two located on FR 70 that is gated some of the year. Three of the trailheads are located on FR 19 across the road from Dolly Sods. The Boars Nest/South Prong Trailhead directions are given in the Google directions below.
Address:
(Office) Potomac Ranger District, HC 59, Box 240, Petersburg, WV 26847, 1.5 miles south of Petersburg off Rt. 28/55
Activities:
Backpacking, Hiking, Cross Country Skiing
Phone/Email:
304-257-4488 (Voice & TDD), 304-636-1800 – Mon. National Forest
Web resources:
Roaring Plains West 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”