This is a 17 mile “lollipop” style hike located in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest. It is a combination of numerous trails in the Seneca backcountry. Along this path you will experience waterfalls, mountain meadows, river crossings and incredible views from Spruce Knob (the highest point in WV). If you can find it, there is also a plane wreck you can hike to. Campsites are plentiful, and you could do this in a day if you are bold, make this into an overnight hike, or even take a few days to enjoy it.
Part 1: Fun Facts
Hike Name: Spruce Knob/Seneca Creek Lollipop Loop
Location: West Virginia
Hike Type: Mix of a loop and out and back
Direction Hiked: I liked the loop section of this hike counterclockwise.
Month and Year Hiked: Late May 2022
Distance Recorded: 17.54 miles
Time Completed In: 2 Days, 1 Night
Elevation Gain Recorded: 2,444 feet
Link to Activity: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/8915395706
GPX File:
Part 2: Trip Report
Day 1: May 28th, 2022
After having such a wonderful hike on the NFMT in April, I decided to head right back to West Virginia and take on another.
I left my home around 0630 hours and took the 3.5 hour drive to Spruce Knob. When I started my car it was a perfect spring day. By the time I made it to my destination, the wind was howling, the temperature dropped to the low 50s, I was surrounded by fog, and to top it all off, it was raining. It felt like I was back at the White Mountains in New Hampshire all over again.
Not to be deterred, I double checked my gear, tightened my pack straps, donned my rain gear, and found the trailhead.
Note: This hike can be done a few different ways, so please check out the Logistics section later in the post to figure out what works best for you.
My hike started at the Huckleberry Trail (TR533), and immediately I was transported to a beautiful and earthy spruce forest. The first section of this hike oscillates from the forest while occasionally passing through some incredible open fields. The path has some rocky sections, but it is mostly a gentle descent in the first 5 miles.
Along the way I passed many campsites, and I have heard in the summer months one can find blueberries ripe for picking. I, unfortunately, did not locate any; however, I can confirm that the nearby Dolly Sods had them when I hiked it in a previous summer, so it would not surprise me if this trail did as well.
Eventually, I reached a trail junction, and took the right to join the Lumberjack Trail (TR534). This is where the path evolved into a quagmire of mud of water. I was suddenly transported back to The Long Trail and the dreaded ‘Vermud’ as I rock-hopped from stone to stone trying to keep my feet as dry as possible.
Along with the mud, the rain did bring swollen freshwater streams, which allowed me to fill up on water as I went along. I am not sure these streams would have been there without the rain, so I can’t complain too much.
Around mile 5.8, I observed a short unmarked trail to my left, and in doing my research, I knew it was around this part of the hike there is plane wreckage (a Piper PA-23 that crashed in 1973). I took the short path and found the remnants still there after 50 years.
Around mile 6.5 the Lumberjack trail intersected with the High Meadows Trail (TR564). I took the High Meadows Trail, and I finally left the forest and entered some beautiful open meadows, I wish the weather allowed me to see enjoy it more. Still, the rain turned into a fine mist, so I popped off my bear can, sat down, and ate my lunch as the fog gradually climbed up the looming mountains in the distance. it was a spectacular.
After lunch, I slowly descended back into the trees (I say slowly because this part of the trail was not only muddy, but steep as well. I almost fell numerous times). Another 2 miles in and I reached the Horton Trail (TR564), and less than a mile later and I made it to the Seneca Creek Trail (TR515). Before you reach Seneca Creek, you can hear the rushing water echoing through the forest. Admittedly, I did not do a ton of research after the plane crash, so I did not know this trail would have river crossings. Around mile 9 is the first of them. I took off my shoes and gingerly walked through the frigid water. As I waded through creek, my feet numbed and it felt great. There were a few deep sections of the creek, so if the weather was better I think a nice dip would be enjoyable.
After the first crossing, the trail followed right alongside the creek. I began to notice tents and people. There were not many hikers along my journey, so I was a bit surprised to see so many. I crossed a second time, and did not want to remove my shoes, so I left them on. Trail runners dry pretty quick, so I was not too concerned about it. Plus they were already pretty wet from the all the mud and water I failed to avoid earlier.
I knew I was going to set up camp along the creek at some point, but I wanted to find a good spot. Not too far along, I saw two sets up in a clearing right next to creek. Two hikers had a nice fire going and had a lot of dry wood set aside. How they managed that, I have no idea. Now dear readers, I am not going to tell you how to camp, but I do have a suggestion, if you find a good spot, with a fire, and dry firewood already there…you should go ahead and camp there.
Not wanting to be rude, I asked the two other hikers if they would be okay with me joining them, and they obliged. It was a little past 1600 hours when I arrived, so I had lots of time before dark. The weather cleared up, and the temperature warmed up. I set up my tent, dressed into warm, dry clothes and joined my two companions (I later learned their names were Jeff & Joel) by the fire.
I’ve written this before, but having a roaring fire after a day of hiking is one of the greatest feelings in the world. I took all my wet clothes and set them near the fire as I chatted with Jeff and Joel.
It turns out they were from West Virginia and were college friends, due to “life happening” they were not able to hike as much as they wanted, but enjoyed getting outdoors in WV. We exchanged stories for a few hours, had some laughs, and I found out Joel was a father of a 14 month old, when I told him my wife was due with our first child in November he was very happy for me, and gave me his best advice. This experience with Jeff & Joel further cemented my belief that hikers are the best people in the world.
A few more hours went by, and eventually we put the fire out and went to bed. Maybe it was the sound of Seneca Creek or the fact that I was extra tired, but I got maybe the best night of sleep I can remember ever getting on a hike. I almost slept through the night.
Day 2: May 29th, 2022
My alarm work me up around 0600, and to my delight, I could see through the dense treetops that the sky was clear and bright yellow rays of light were already finding their way through. I usually don’t like to dilly-dally in the mornings, but seeing as it was a 3 hour ride back home and I only had about 7 miles left, I took my time packing up camp. My usual breakfast consists of some peanut butter and go-go squeeze’s. This morning I boiled some water and actually had a hot breakfast of some oatmeal, peaches and blueberries, and it was wonderful. While eating breakfast, I saw Joel and Jeff for the final time, I thanked them for the fire and advice and they went on their way. At 0700 hours, I left camp. Not ten minutes after I began, I came across the final river crossing. Slightly annoyed, I debated whether to leave my shoes on or off, I decided I didn’t want to go uphill in wet shoes for the last 7 miles. I took off my shoes and socks and once again crossed the stream. There is nothing quite like barefoot walking through freezing water right after waking up. If the hot breakfast didn’t wake me up, the cold water sure did. After putting my shoes back on I continued along the creek, passing dozens of tents. I treaded carefully as most of their inhabitants we’re still asleep. Perhaps less than a mile later stood Seneca Falls which was the largest waterfall I had encountered so far.
After taking in the sights and sounds the falls, I passed through an open meadow before arriving at the Judy Springs Trail (TR 512). It is here I crossed a wooden bridge, and began a steep ascent. Though the sun was rising, shadows still cloaked much of much of the open meadows and the morning dew blanketed the ground making my decision to remove my shoes at the previous creek feel less and less important. As I got further along, the shadows retreated into the forest revealing the far peaks and meadows. I slowed to a snail’s pace to take in the beauty of my surroundings, and was still the only one on the trail at this point, and I had it all to myself.
Reluctantly I left the Meadows behind and went back into the forest where I briefly turned back onto the Horton Trail for less than a half mile. Then I was back at the intersection with the Huckleberry Trail where I was yesterday. I retraced my steps back up to where my journey began The lot had filled up since yesterday, no doubt the weather was a factor. The sun was high in the sky at this point and only a few clouds dotted the sky. I stowed my gear in Ol’ Silver and went to complete the final part of my hike. The paved Whispering Spruce Trail (TR567) was flat and offered a tower and vistas of the entire area. It took some time to get the views as many day hikers flocked to Spruce Knob, but it was worth it. I had heard how amazing the views were at the top of it, but words can’t do it justice. Lush green valleys and mountains spread across the horizon like a painting. After taking some time to myself I walked back to my vehicle, cranked up the AC, and headed back to VA, another hike in the books.
Part 3: Miscellaneous Details
Logistics:
This hike is a combination of an out-and-back combined with a loop (the map kina looks like a lollipop I guess). This means you will be able to park, hike, then return to your vehicle, which takes away some of the the headache when planning this one. There is a massive parking lot at the top of Spruce Knob Mountain. The lot also has an enclosed privy, a lean-to, and it is right at the trailhead. To get to the lot, you will need to traverse the narrow and twisty Forest Roads 104 and 112. After parking, you can choose to start off by taking the short half-mile trail that takes you to the lookout tower and some incredible vistas, or you can save it until the end. I decided to save it until the end because as descried in my opening paragraph the fog was so thick you could not see that far in front of you. Knowing the weather was supposed to be much better the next day, I chose to save Spruce Knob until the end of my trip.
Water:
The Huckleberry trail, which is the first 5 miles and last 5 miles if you follow my itinerary, does not have any water sources. After that, there are plentiful water sources along this hike. Much of the middle portion of the hike is parallel to to Seneca Creek, which is a great source of water (be sure to filter). I did not carry more than two liters of water on me at any point.
Tip: I would suggest leaving a few liters of water in your car. This will allow you to carry less water you are going uphill the last 5 miles. This does not mean carry no water or less water than you feel you need, please know what you are capable of, and always be safe out there.
Navigation:
This hike consists of numerous intersecting trails, it is well-marked with blazes. As always, I would suggest brining a paper map. if you read my post about the NFMT you can even use the same map here. For my hike, I used a GPX file from Alltrails, and loaded it into my Garmin fēnix 5x to navigate.
Difficulty:
Overall, this hike is pretty easy. The first 12 miles are mostly downhill, or gentle ascents. From Mile 12 to Mile 13.5, there is approximately a 1,000 foot ascent that can be challenging, but most of it is in an open area with great views, so I would suggest taking it slow and getting some great photos along the way. Once you complete the loop and meet back up on the Lumberjack trail, it is a gentle ascent back up to the Spruce Knob parking. Once you make it back to your vehicle, stow your gear in your vehicle and take the paved path the lookout tower and experience some of the best views in West Virginia.
Sun Protection:
Most of this trail is in the forest with plenty of tree cover. There are a few high meadows that are very good places for taking breaks. The first day of my hike, was cold, cloudy and rainy, and the second day was sunny and warm. I did not bring sun protection and was fine, but I could imagine a scenario where sunscreen would be needed.
Camping options:
Though there were a ton of campsites along the different trails, If you can manage it, wait until you get to Seneca Creek before finding a place to camp. From approximately mile 9 to mile 11 there were enough established sites near the creek for dozens of tents. Also, most have established fire rings and right next to some incredible waterfalls.
Insect Pressure:
The first day of the hike was cold, cloudy, windy, and wet, so I did not notice any bugs the first day. There were some meadows with long grass, and I could imagine ticks could be an issue there. The second day was warm and sunny, and there were lots of flies on the lumberjack trail as I made my way to Spruce Knob, but they mostly left me alone. I treated my clothing with permethrin beforehand, and I did not find any ticks on me.
Last Word
This hike lacks the relentless views and ecological diversity of the nearby West Virginia hikes the NFMT and Dolly Sods, but it offers its own challenges and highlights, and it is much easier than the others I named. If you are new to backpacking and would like a good trainer trail, this would be a fantastic option.
Thanks for reading folks, as always if you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, I would love to hear from you. Please reach out.