Dolly Sods is a great place for a one or two day overnight backpacking trip. The trail travels through spruce forest and meadows, with waterfalls along the way and, of course, panoramic views from Spruce Mountain. Wear waterproof boots (not shoes!). I encountered no bridges or shelters. West Virginia is full of hidden backcountry gems. And at this point “long-term” is anything longer than a weekend. The Dolly Sods feature a condensed 50 miles of hiking trails which intersect and zig-zag through many of the area's exceptionally biodiverse regions. The original Dolly Sods was a mountaintop meadow of about 650 acres (3 km 2) at the southern end of Rohrbaugh Plains, near the present Dolly Sods Picnic Area. It can be rough and you should know how to read a Topo map prior to going as the trails are not well marked. Dolly Sods has 47 miles of trails which are clearly marked on the map. Route Map. It’s wide open up here and is a popular place to gather for sunrise and sunset. Check out our value for money boots recommendations. The hike uphill is a moderate hike, but a bit rocky. There wasn’t much rain in the weeks leading up to our weekend, so that allowed for many of the “slushy” trails to dry up significantly. And this hike, Dolly Sods/Lions Head, that combines the best parts of the first 2, as well as the view from the Lions Head on Breathed Mountain. I packed up fairly early on a very cool morning, with the plan to hike the Dolly Sods border trails on the northwest and northern portion to take in the views over Canaan Valley. The area has more than 47 miles of trails in total, but the 15-mile hike through Dolly Sods North is … Find your way to 28/7, also called Jordan Run Road. Elevation Gain: ~1,500 feet. Hiking off established trails is discouraged as some ordinance may exist that is un-exploded. Quick video from a short backpacking trip to the spectacular Dolly Sods wilderness area of West Virginia It was time for a long overdue hike into the woods. Lindy Point sunset. Sep 19, 2019; Dog friendly restaurants Sep 04, 2019; Most scenic day hiking trails in the Dolly Sods? If you are looking for somewhere off the beaten path, Roaring Plains is that place. Dolly Sods is great for a day hike or a 1-3 night backpacking trip! The Dolly Sods Wilderness contains much of the Red Creek drainage and contains bog and heath eco-types, more commonly typical to southern Canada. Depending on your approach, you'll enter from Route 48, and be sure to top off your tank long before you get near the Sods. The Sods are a federally designated wilderness and hiker conveniences are correspondingly restricted to rough trails and scattered trail signs. Since we had been to the southern half, we decided to go to the northern part of the area where all the picturesque sandstone boulders are – the Dolly Sods North loop. As a 3 day backpack camp along Big Stonecoal Run the first night, then the Forks of Red Creek the second. This is an intermediate/strenuous 25 mile loop. … Many of the trails follow the railroad grades and logging roads left from the deforestation era of the early 1900s. Forest Wander. Start of Wilderness Way Trail . It was late August and there were many wildflowers … The 17,371 acre Dolly Sods Wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. It is a minor accomplishment to be there when it is not raining. It is located in Grant, Randolph, and Tucker Counties, West Virginia. Fifteen different trails can be completed within the Dolly Sods Wilderness, and they accumulatively cover around 47 miles! Dolly Sods Loop. If the Sods are wild today, it hasn’t always been so. A weekend backpacking in Dolly Sods, WV. Take one of the walking sticks left at the trailhead or bring your own. Our favorite approach to Dolly Sods Wilderness is from the east using Forest Road 75. Dolly Sods Wilderness With its sandstone cliffs, red spruce trees and grass-filled meadows, the high-altitude plateau known as Dolly Sods is a backpacking beauty for the books. The 16.5-mile trek to the summit has been called one of the top 5 backpacking routes in the mid-Atlantic. Route signs in WV are like fractions - you'll get used to it. The route is obvious thanks to the sign and the clear path leading that way. In the northeast corner of this area, there’s a beautiful overlook that takes in the mountain ridges to the east. Dolly Sods Trail Map. Day 3: Discovering Dolly Sods. The Dolly Sods Wilderness is just a few miles from the park in the nearby Monongahela National Forest and is the highest plateau east of the Mississippi River. Coal Knob sits at 3,766 feet above sea level, Breathed Mountain at 3,848 feet, and Blackbird Knob at 3,960 feet. A Winter Weekend In Dolly Sods. Park at the South Prong/Boar’s Nest trailhead. Dolly Sods covers 17,776 acres—not enormous but, larger than Manhattan and without a single deli, enough to feel some space in. The 17,371 acre Dolly Sods Wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Through my research I had heard that these spots along the Stonecoal Trail were some of the best in the area. Dolly Sods is a popular place for wilderness backpacking and this late in the day, many of the precious few areas suitable for a campsite, including the one I was hoping for, had been claimed by other adventurers. I planned to go when the leaves turned, and I decided to go yesterday. The lofty elevation, much of it at nearly 4,000 feet, affords awe-inspiring views. Backpacking & Hiking. Trailhead located one mile from the Laneville entrance of Dolly Sods. If backpacking (not running) I would probably plan on two full days of hiking at least, with an overnight in the neighborhood of Bear Rocks. This includes six trails based in the north area of the Dolly Sods and nine based in the other areas of the Dolly Sods. Need to Know Weather can change quickly in the Dolly Sods, so be prepared. May 10, 2019; Perils of renting from Mountaintop Realty Sep 22, 2018; Dulles International Airport to Davis Aug 27, 2018 On the way to Dolly Sods is Roaring Plains Wilderness. This 21.1 mile circuit can be done as either a 2 or 3 day backpack. Dolly Sods Wilderness Dolly Sods is a place like none other. Dolly Sods Questions Jul 26, 2020; colored leaves.. Sep 24, 2019; Dolly Sods blueberry brushes ,bike routes etc. The weather in Dolly Sods is more severe than other nearby places. Once you reach the top of the plateau the trail turns to sand in places and the hiking is a bit easier. The 17,371 acre Dolly Sods Wilderness is located in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. Backpacking Dolly Sods North Loop. The water is clear enough to drink with tablets or another purification system. End your hike with a bang by climbing up Tully Mountain before heading back to your vehicle. My husband and I enjoyed our first trip to Dolly Sods Wilderness so much, we were itching to go back and explore the area more. We like this road so much we made a Lizard sticker for it. Keeping things coordinated. Winter is a great time to get out if you want solitude, and that is just what I was looking for. Dolly Sods Day 1: Aborted Rohrbaugh Trail – Lion’s Head Plan On 11/02/2020 11/02/2020 By hikingjourneys In Dolly Sods My initial plan (derived on the drive down) was to experience a few trails I didn’t see on the 2011 trip. From the parking area, it’s a 0.3 mile walk to Dolly Sods. It is located in Grant, Randolph and Tucker Counties, West Virginia. There’s over 47 miles of trails in the area, many of which follow along old railroad grades and logging roads, as well as the Red Creek (which runs down the middle of the wilderness), and has a few streams connecting to it. While the hiking in Dolly Sods is awesome, you will see some signs that the area was used in WW2 as an artillery range. The Dolly Sods offers both great day-hikes and long weekend trips... but come prepared for changing weather during any season! Trail will head back uphill to yet another plateau with views of Canaan Valley and eventually the northern section of Dolly Sods. Make sure your navigational skills are up to par as the trail can be hard to follow. With the addition of the new Dolly Sods-Seneca Rocks Lizard Map to my map and guide collection, I spent a few days poring over the network of trails before I just had to get out and explore. No matter, the established trails are grand. During periods of heavy rain, creek crossings can become difficult. At the end of Wilderness Way there’s a noticeboard with information about Dolly Sods Wilderness, including a map of the area. It’s a very special time of the year, too. On 11/02/2020 By hikingjourneys In Dolly Sods 1 Comment. At just over 17,o00 acres, it contains around 45 miles of hiking trails, including Breathed Mountain and Blackbird Knob. I live 2.5 hours away, so this trip took up a whole day for me. 2. Dolly Sods North Hike (Hiking Upward) Best trails in Dolly Sods (Alltrails) 10 scenic trails in Dolly Sods (Harman’s Log Cabins) Sunrise or sunset at Bear Rocks. 2020 has been a strange year to say the least. Things to Know Before Hiking Dolly Sods Wilderness. In a way, the trails are stitched together like an intricate quilt rather than a single tidy loop giving each hiker an opportunity to piece together their preferred hike, and to tweak it along the way. I open with that statement because Dolly Sods is notorious for wet and soggy conditions. It has a super unique ecosystem that resembles Canada, with wild cranberries and balsam fir forests. Continue reading Dolly Sods Day 2: Bear Creek Trailhead – Lion’s Head – Big Stonecoal Trail. South Prong Trail is an 8 mile arduous hike. Elevations range from 2,500 to over 4,700 feet. The Dolly Sods are some of the best backpacking grounds in the Eastern US. The road in is dirt and fairly rutted and full of holes and bumps. Plentiful good camping spots allows for adapting it for up to 4 or 5 days. Since 1967 we have enjoyed hiking, skiing, and backpacking in the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area in West Virginia and its adjoining US Forest Service lands. We have known that many of the better trails in the area are incorrectly marked or completely missing from many of the available Forest Service and topographic maps. Dolly Sods boasts three peaks that can be accessed via the 47 miles of trail interweaving the area. You can also find info and possible routes from Mid-Atlantic Hikes, such as this great 24-mile circumnavigation. It seemed like something came up every time I tried to make plans for a long-term trip. And it was dry! Dolly Sods Day 3: Big Stonecoal to Bear Rocks . It is definitely worth the trip. I’m glad the authors pointed out the winter access to Dolly Sods. The present-day Dolly Sods Wilderness (DSW) encompasses some 17,371 acres (70 km 2 ) of U.S. Forest Service land and is itself only part of a larger 32,000-acre (129 km 2 ) area now known as "Dolly Sods". The Dolly Sods Wilderness contains much of the Red Creek drainage and contains bog and heath eco-types, more commonly typical to southern Canada. If you have a chance to visit Dolly Sods—do it! This makes for a leisurely 9.4, 5.2, and 6.5 miles each day. One of these natural gems is the Dolly Sods Wilderness in the eastern part of the state. With its sandstone cliffs, red spruce trees and grass-filled meadows, the high-altitude plateau known as Dolly Sods is a backpacking beauty for the books. Check out the Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide by Allen de Hart and Bruce Sundquist for a thorough guide to the trails of Dolly Sods, as well as the rest of the area. Overall, Dolly Sods was an enjoyable trip and the scenery was amazing if you were in the right places. More than 47 miles of hiking trails, some trail-to-rail and old logging roads, make the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area a fascinating place for hiking. Hiking in Dolly Sods Wilderness. My family drove through Dolly Sods once a handful of years ago, and I had always wanted to go back to actually get out of the car and go hiking. There’s a traditional campground called Red Creek Campground, but you can also camp for free at any number of sites within the wilderness area. Elevations range from 2,500 to over 4,700 feet.