Monongahela National Forest Guide

Monongahela National Forest Highlights

Among the creatures to be found in the mountains, valleys, forests, thickets, wetlands, and open areas of the vast Monongahela National Forest are some 230 species of birds—plus the one species, Homo sapiens, that delights most in observing them.
Thanks to the national forest's huge size, north-south extent, and 5,000-foot elevation range, birders in “the Mon” are likely to encounter birds common to the Atlantic coast, the Mississippi Valley, Canada, and the South—and, of course, the Appalachian Mountains.
To sample the national forest's choice birding spots, head for Dolly Sods, the Smoke Hole area, Cranberry Glades, the Gaudineer Knob area and other locales in the Cheat Mountains, Canaan Valley State Park, Blackwater Falls State Park, and Odey Bog.
To learn firsthand about warblers and other migratory birds, take advantage of the bird-banding station at an overlook near the Red Creek Campground in Dolly Sods. On any morning between mid-August and mid-October, the volunteer ornithologists there will welcome you.

By Travel Expert: Paul Elliott

At a whopping 919,000+ acres, Monongahela National Forest occupies the entire eastern third of West Virginia. Not surprisingly, it's packed with hundreds of miles of great mountain-biking trails, especially around the small towns of Davis and Slatyfork. Ride the 25-mile Plantation Trail system, which carves its way through a thick forest of rhododendrons, rocks, streams, and vines. Davis-based Blackwater Bikes rents bikes and has trail guides.
Take a hike in the Cranberry Backcountry and Cranberry Wilderness, a 62,000-acre oasis of bogs, hemlock, and spruce forestland crisscrossed by some 1,500 miles of hiking trails. These include the 300-mile north-south Allegheny Trail and Cow Pasture Trail, which cuts a scenic line through the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area, a group of five bog wetlands located in the forest's Gauley Ranger District.
Backpack the Dolly Sods Wilderness, a dramatic landscape of rocky plains, upland bogs, and windswept, high-elevation plateaus reminiscent of the bare, glacial terrain of northern Canada or Scotland. If you don't have time to go deep into the backcountry, the six-mile Boar's Nest–South Prong Loop Trail is a moderate day hike that gains a rocky 1,500 feet and gives you a sense of Dolly Sods's wide sweep.
Run the whitewater that burrows through the Monongahela National Forest, home to the headwaters of five major river systems and hundreds of miles of smaller streams. Red Creek, Otter Creek, Seneca Creek, and the Upper Blackwater all offer expert-quality whitewater, while Laurel Fork, Dry Fork, and Glady Fork serve up some more mellow Class II–IV rapids amid some spectacular scenery. The lower summer flow means easier canoeing and float trips, perfect for families.
Go climbing at Seneca Rocks in the forest's northeastern corner, a 900-foot, sheer quartzite formation that's a veritable paradise for rock rats. More than 375 established routes provide mostly technical climbing ranging from 5.0 to 5.13 in difficulty. The Seneca Rocks Climbing School offers several levels of instruction. Even if you're a nonclimber, you’ll still find plenty of vantages from which to watch the action.

By Travel Expert: Alistair Wearmouth