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In August of 2020 when this blog was but a twinkle in my eye, a few of my college friends and I completed a backpacking trip at a place in West Virginia known as the Dolly Sods. Before then, I had never heard of the oddly named wilderness, and there was not nearly as much information on it as I would have liked.
We spent three days and two nights hiking through some of the most beautiful and unique landscapes south of the Canadian border. I was blown away that somethings place like that could exist less than 3 hours away from me and be so under the radar. From the moment we stepped out of our vehicle to the moment we returned, every step we took brought us to a new environment. From cranberry bogs, to wind swept boulders, river crossings to spruce forests, alpine like meadows to fields of blueberries, the Dolly Sods had it all!!!
Flash forward to Summer 2023. My friend Ethan, who joined me on that trip, wanted to do one last shakedown hike before our upcoming Rim-Rim-Rim hike of the Grand Canyon. We both knew immediately where we wanted to go…
Part 1: Fun Facts
Hike Name: Dolly Sods Loop
Location: West Virginia
Permits Required: No
Hike Type: Loop
Direction Hiked: Counterclockwise
Month and Year Hiked: Mid-August 2023
Distance Recorded: 28.43 miles
Time Completed In: 3 Days, 2 Nights
Elevation Gain Recorded: 3,932 feet
Link to Activity: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/11839645563
GPX File:
Part 2: Trip Report
Day 1: August 23rd, 2023 (Bear Rocks Preserve to campsites near Lions Head (11.8 miles)
I made it to Bear Rocks parking lot at 0900 hours. Ethan, his brother Ryan, and their friend Vladi had driven together overnight from Indiana to meet me there.
The air was cold, and the wind was whipping at me the moment I stepped out of my car. It felt more like late fall than it did summer. Ethan and Ryan introduced me to Vladi.
While we got our gear in order, I did my best to hype up the Dolly Sods to Ryan and Vladi. This was their first multi-day backpacking trip, and I wanted them to enjoy it. I did not need to say much though, The scenery did enough talking for me. The parking lot sits on top of the Allegheny front plateau. Stunted trees, sandstone boulders dotted the rising hills around us. It was breathtaking, and we hadn’t even started yet.
Out trek began on Bear Rocks Trail, where we walked through the expansive hills and took in the surroundings. A mile in, we crossed a boardwalk and made our first stop at Red Creek to filter water. I told the guys a little about the history of the Dolly Sods. I went into detail on how ancient some of the trees were, and before it was almost deforested, some were as large as the giant Sequoias in California. It was almost burnt down in the 1910s, and in WW2 it was shelled with mortars by the US Army. It took many decades to replant trees, and undue the damage, but the area is now thriving. The Dolly Sods is special and unique wilderness with a harrowing past. It might be the only place like it in the US.
(author’s note: Ethan, Vladi, and I had a fun time all weekend warning Ryan not to step too far off trail otherwise he might detonate one of the left behind mortars)
The Bear Rocks trail ended at the Raven Ridge junction. We would be going counterclockwise from here and eventually come back to this intersection near the end of day 3. Our track veered right onto the Raven Ridge Trail, and the it went back into the forest. Shortly thereafter, We found some giant boulders and took a long lunch break before continuing on the Rocky Ridge Trail.
The next 3 miles were as spectacular as I remembered. More rocks and builders popped up on each side of us and the views of the Canaan Valley were before us. I could tell Ryan and Vladi had never seen anything quite like it.
Rocky Ridge Trail merged into Blackbird Knob Trail, and then it quickly turned into to a four-way trail junction marked by a large wooden sign and map. We took Big Stonecoal Trail and left the open meadows and rocky plateau for the bogs and forest. Either it was very rainy season three years ago, or it was extremely dry now, but all the mud I remembered had dried up. Two miles later we made it to the creek where Ethan and I camped at the last time, but now we had a different destination.
This was our last chance for water, for the night, so we filled up and followed Stonecoal Creek. We crossed it several times and came to the Dunkenbarger Trail junction. I took note of it because we were going to have to come back tomorrow morning. The trail followed alongside the creek before splitting at the Rocky Point Trail junction. We stayed on the Rocky Point Trail for about a half mile until a side trail marked by a rock cairn on the left. The unmarked trail was a short but steep, rock scramble uphill. At this point, it was getting late in the day, and we were all tired. When we all made it up I could tell everyone was ready to get to bed.
Ethan and I found the same spot we camped at last time. A great spot near an open field. We all set up our tents and I convinced everyone to make one more short trek to Lion’s Head. Vladi and Ryan were extremely exhausted but I knew they had to see sunset at Lions Head. It is one of the iconic features of the Dolly Sods. We arrived just in time to catch the last glimpses of the alpine glow on the mountains.
When we made it back to camp we cooked dinner, I was eating a delicious homemade Mexican chip dip thanks to Backcountry Foodie and Vladi was able to get a good fire going. Before going to bed, the Dolly Sods had one more treat for us. The night sky began to glitter with countless stars, and the spiral arms of the milky way reached across them all . Along with the stars, there were meteors, satellites, and shooting stars. It was a sight to behold.
Ryan swears he saw and heard a meteorite crash into the forest near us, but the rest of us attributed that to his exhaustion.
Day 2: August 24th, 2023 (campsites near Lions Heads to the Forks at Red Creek, 10 miles)
At 0630 hours, I woke up to catch the sunrise. Everyone was still sleeping, and after a 12 mile day, I did not wake them. When I arrived, I had Lion’s Head all to myself. It was even better than the sunset.
Upon my return, our camp started to wake. We spent the next 3 hours eating breakfast and packing up. Normally, I would be on the trail within 45 minutes of waking up, but this was not that kind of trip. The guys definitely gave me hard time for always being ready to go, while they were relaxing and enjoying themselves.
We retraced our steps back to Dunkenbarger Trail. This one was a bit more muddy than yesterday, but still not as bad as it was a few years back. It was also a bit overgrown with Rhododendron at places, and it reminded me of the green tunnel of the Appalachian Trail.
Eventually, we traded Dunkenbarger for Little Stonecoal and took it all the way down to Red Creek. The creek was beautiful, and by this time the sun was out in a cloudless sky. It was a lot warmer than yesterday. We took advantage of it, and had a 2.5 hour break. I found myself wading into some of the deeper pools to cool off before leaving.
The next 2.5 miles were a series of elevation changes as Red Creek Trail ran parallel with the creek. Up and down we went until we crossed the creek one last time for the day. I was hoping for some deeper water that would allow for Ryan and Vladi to experience fording a river, but unfortunately the creek wasn’t flowing strong enough. We just had rock hop across. There were lots of nice campsites on each side, but we still had a few more miles to go.
Our destination was a few miles ahead known as the forks at Red Creek. They are one of the most popular camping destinations at Dolly Sods. By the time we arrived, it was pretty crowded; however, we were able to find a good spot for all of us near the stream.
We had a good time telling jokes and I shared many stories of my experiences on other hikes. It had been a long while since I wasn’t doing a solo trip. I almost forgot how fun it was to hike with other people.
Day 3: August 25th, 2023 (The Forks at Red Creek to Bear Rocks Preserve, 6.63 miles)
We started the day by checking out the nearby waterfalls on the stream. Years ago, when Ethan and I did this hike, we spent hours swimming here, but this time we just admired them from the campsites.
Our final day began with a mile climb out of the drainage area. As the elevation increased, the trail transformed again. We were leaving the green tunnel behind and going back to wide-open meadows. We made a right onto Blackbird Knob Trail and hiked approximately a quarter mile through bogs to the Upper Red Creek Trail. This trail provided miles of beautiful open grassy areas. The weather was absolutely perfect, and for the second straight day, the sun was out with minimal cloud cover. We all wanted to take breaks and enjoy the views, but Ethan, Ryan, and Vladi had a long drive back, so we pushed forward.
When we arrived at the Dobbin Grade Trail, we took that for maybe a tenth of a mile through a few muddy areas. Then it was back on Raven Ridge Trail, it took us through more open meadows and wooded areas. This is where we were able to pick blueberries right off the bushes. I grabbed a few handfuls and made Ryan and Vladi try some. There was no way they were leaving without being able to say they tried some of the of the wild blueberries of West Virginia.
Before we knew it, we arrived back at the Bear Rocks Trail junction we passed on the 1st day. We took one more break to enjoy the majesty of the trail. As we rested, a large group of horse riders passed us riding down the trail.
The last mile was pretty uneventful as we meandered our way back to Bear Rocks parking lot. Before we said our goodbyes I told Ryan and Vladi that they should be proud. Their first hike was not an easy one. They were carrying a lot of weight and definitely were feeling it at the end. I asked if they would do it again though, and they said they definitely would.
I had a feeling they were going to say that. How could you not after hiking the wild and wonderful Dolly Sods.
Part 3: Miscellaneous Details
Logistics:
The Dolly Sods are not a difficult hike to plan for or get to. There are a few different trailheads that you can utilize, and no permits are required. As for fire roads go, the one I took to Bear Rocks was pretty good. Usually, I am worried about my low clearance Mazda going up them, but not this time. It is also less than 4 hours from a few Mid-Atlantic metropolitan areas making it accessible for lot of hikers.
Water:
Water sources are very prevalent throughout this hike. Many of the trails are near creeks and streams with the exception of the Raven Ridge and Rocky Ridge Trails. They are right on top of the Allegheny Plateau and have no water.
Navigation:
This is where it gets a bit tricky. The Dolly Sods trail brochure lists 19 different trails. Many of these trails intersect at various points, and when you combine them all, they equal almost 50 miles. In my two times navigating, I have yet to see a single blaze or trail maker. There are plenty of signs at intersections, a few cairns, and the trails are well-maintained, but we did lose the trail numerous times. Ethan and I both had Garmin Fenix watches and I had the course loaded up, so whenever we lost the trail we were able to easily find it again.
Difficulty:
In my opinion, I would say this hike of the Dolly Sods is fairly moderate. There are only a few steep sections, and the elevation gain is not as bad as some of the other hikes I have done. The x-factor is the mud. The first time I completed the hike, tit was one of the muddiest slogs I’ve ever hiked through, and that is saying something since I also hiked the Long Trail. This year, there was barely any, which means I was either really lucky this time or unlucky the last time.
I did want to get a second and third opinion though, because I have almost 1,000 miles of trails under my belt and I consider myself a fairly strong hiker at this point. At the end, I asked Vladi and Ryan to give me a difficulty rating with 1 being the easiest and 10 being the most difficult. They both settled around a 7. Vladi did tell me, that had he dialed his pack weight back, he would have rated it easier.
Hazards/Sun Protection:
Much of this hike is in a dense forest with lots of tree cover, but there are plenty of open valleys and meadows where there is none. The sun was shining vigorously on all three days we were out there and I used a good amount of sunscreen. In winter, large drifts of snow up to 20 feet can form, lasting into May.
A special hazard for the sods is unexploded ordnance, as I mentioned before the area was used for military training during World War II, and artillery and mortar shells remain. Cleanup efforts have removed a lot of it, but use caution if venturing off trail.
Camping options:
Its hard to find a bad campsite in the Dolly Sods. The best are Along Big Stonecoal Trail, near Lions Head, and the forks at Red Creek. Just about every trail has campsites along them which make it easy to customize your route.
Wildlife/Insect Pressure:
In my two backpacking trips in the Dolly Sods, I have spent a total of 6 days there, and I have yet to see a tick or mosquito. Why is this the case? I have no idea, but it just seems like they don’t exist there. Maybe its because its often cold and windy, or maybe its the elevation, but either way, it is yet another reason the Dolly Sods a magical place. That is not to say there aren’t any bugs, but they are not as bad as you would think with all the mud and water.
As for wildlife, we saw a few deer, many birds, small fish, snakes, and a few mice near our campsite on the second night. Black bears are active in the area so be sure to take precaution and hang a bear bag or bring a bear can.
Last Word
Coming back to the Dolly Sods Wilderness after three years, I must admit part of me was worried that maybe we got lucky last time or it wasn’t as nice as I remembered. After traversing it again, I am glad to report my initial experience was absolutely correct. It remains one of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen. The whole time I was out there, I kept thinking “how is this place not more known?” The Appalachian Trail gets a lot of love for obvious reasons, but I can tell you, mile for mile, the Dolly Sods are just as good as anywhere I’ve been on the AT.
To me it is a perfect hiking trip. You can experience waterfalls, lush forests, diverse wildlife, river crossings, rock scrambling, the milky way, alpine meadows, high plateaus, and wild berries all while not having to worry about ticks or mosquitoes. I haven’t even motioned that depending on the time of year, the terrain can look extremely different. You can go in the spring and see the wildflower bloom, or if you prefer the fall, you can catch the spectacular colors of fall foliage.
The Dolly Sods remains my favorite place to hike, and I don’t think I will ever get tired coming back. I am seriously debating making it a yearly trip, that is how much I love it.
Whew, I know this was a long one folks. Thank you sticking with it. If you enjoyed this write-up you should check out some of my other treks here.