The famous one
Dolly Sods Wilderness
A two- or three-night loop through the Sods: Red Creek, the open heath, Bear Rocks, and back over Blackbird Knob. Exposed, beautiful and navigationally demanding.
Full guide to Dolly Sods Wilderness →Backpacking
Dolly Sods, Otter Creek, Cranberry, Roaring Plains and Laurel Fork are the wilderness areas that define West Virginia backpacking. The Allegheny Trail runs roughly 300 miles north to south under the stewardship of the West Virginia Scenic Trails Association, and the Appalachian Trail crosses the Eastern Panhandle at Harpers Ferry.
Dolly Sods is the most requested backpacking destination in the state. Otter Creek offers comparable terrain with lower visitation, though it involves repeated unbridged crossings of Otter Creek.
Dispersed camping is permitted across most of the Monongahela National Forest, which is unusual for an eastern forest, and the foundation of backpacking here.
Our recommendations
Where we'd send you
The better first trip
Otter Creek Wilderness
Otter Creek Wilderness. Deep woods, moss, rhododendron tunnels and a creek you'll cross repeatedly. Enclosed rather than exposed, which is much more forgiving in bad weather.
Full guide to Otter Creek Wilderness →The one people miss
North Fork Mountain Trail
North Fork Mountain. Twenty-four miles of ridge through one of the driest mountains in the East, with quartzite outcrops over Germany Valley the whole way.
Full guide to North Fork Mountain Trail →Practical note
North Fork Mountain has essentially no water on the ridge. People underestimate this every year and end up making long, steep, unplanned descents to springs. Carry it all, or cache it.
What to know before you go
- Dispersed camping is permitted across much of the Monongahela National Forest
- Water is abundant but tannic in the Highlands — filter and expect tea-colored water
- Wilderness areas are not signed or blazed by design
Regions that do it best
Highest terrain, ski areas, wilderness backpacking
Potomac Highlands
All terrain in West Virginia above 4,000 feet lies in this region, including Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet.
Rail-trails, limestone caves, gentle river paddlingGreenbrier Valley
The Greenbrier Valley sits on Greenbrier limestone, producing karst topography: sinkholes, springs, sinking streams and extensive cave systems, several with more than forty miles of surveyed passage.
Appalachian Trail, warm rivers, limestone streamsEastern Panhandle
The Appalachian Trail crosses the Potomac at Harpers Ferry and runs roughly 24 miles through this region.
Every place we cover for backpacking
Wilderness · Greenbrier Valley
Cranberry Wilderness
47,815 acres of second-growth northern hardwood and red spruce on the high plateau — the largest wilderness in West Virginia.
47,815 ac wildernessUnblazed by design
Wilderness · Potomac Highlands
Dolly Sods Wilderness
A 17,371-acre federally designated wilderness on a plateau largely above 4,000 feet, containing wind-flagged red spruce, heath barrens, sphagnum bog and exposed rock.
17,371 ac wilderness4,000+ ft plateau
Overlook · Potomac Highlands
Spruce Knob
At 4,863 feet, the highest point in West Virginia and the high point of the entire Allegheny range.
4,863 ft state high point0.5 mi summit loop
National Forest · Potomac Highlands
Seneca Creek Backcountry
A network of trails below Spruce Knob following Seneca Creek through spruce and northern hardwood to a series of waterfalls, the largest around 20 feet.
Native brookies fishery~20 ft seneca falls
Wilderness · Potomac Highlands
Otter Creek Wilderness
About 20,000 acres of dense second-growth forest in a bowl between Shavers Mountain and McGowan Mountain, drained by Otter Creek.
20,000 ac wildernessUnbridged crossings
Trail · Potomac Highlands
North Fork Mountain Trail
A 24-mile ridge trail along one of the driest mountains in the eastern United States, running through pine and oak with repeated Tuscarora quartzite outcrops looking down into Germany Valley and across at Seneca Rocks.
24 mi lengthDry no water on ridge
Wilderness · Potomac Highlands
Laurel Fork Wilderness
Two adjacent wilderness units, North and South, totaling around 12,000 acres along Laurel Fork — a beaver-worked stream valley with meadows, spruce and one of the quietest backpacking experiences in the state.
~12,000 ac two unitsBeaver meadows
National Park · Eastern Panhandle
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Where the Shenandoah meets the Potomac and three states meet at once, with the Appalachian Trail running straight through town and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquartered a block off Washington Street.
3 states visible~24 mi at in wv
Wildlife Area · Eastern Panhandle
Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area
Nearly 23,000 acres on Sleepy Creek Mountain — the largest WMA in the Eastern Panhandle, with a 205-acre lake, primitive camping, hunting, and a long ridge trail system.
22,928 ac wma205 ac sleepy creek lake
State Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Calvin Price State Forest
An undeveloped forest adjoining Watoga State Park to the south, with no facilities and minimal trail marking.
9,482 ac forestUndeveloped facilities
Trips built around it
2–3 days · Jun–Oct
Dolly Sods Backpacking Loop
Heath barrens, sphagnum bog, wind-flagged spruce and tannin-dark creeks on a plateau above 4,000 feet.
2 days · May–SepEastern Panhandle Paddle & Hike
The closest real outdoors to Washington and Baltimore: warm rivers, the Appalachian Trail, and a spa town to finish in..
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Guides and rentals for backpacking
Reserved for a West Virginia operator serving this activity. Everything above and below it is unpaid editorial.
List your business hereQuestions people ask
Can you camp anywhere in the Monongahela National Forest?
Dispersed backcountry camping is allowed in most of the forest without a permit, subject to setback rules from trails, roads and water. Some heavily used areas, including parts of Dolly Sods, have additional restrictions.
How long is the Allegheny Trail?
Roughly 300 miles, running north–south through West Virginia, maintained by the West Virginia Scenic Trails Association.
Organizations, agencies and resources · 19
The groups doing the actual work — access, maintenance, licensing and data. Starred entries are worth following continuously.
WVU DIY Outdoors
University
One of the most important WV-specific resources, covering hiking, backpacking, climbing, biking, whitewater, canoeing, caving, swimming holes, skiing and more.
Visit
Adventure WV / WVU Outdoor Recreation Center
University
Outdoor programs, recreation, education and regional resources through West Virginia University.
Visit
AllTrails — West Virginia
Platform
The largest consumer trail database, with West Virginia hiking, snowshoeing and horseback-compatible trail listings and user photos.
Visit
Hiking Project
Platform
Crowd-sourced hiking database with GPX downloads and offline maps for West Virginia trails.
Visit
West Virginia Scenic Trails Association
Nonprofit
Home organization for the Allegheny Trail — maintenance, mapping, guidebooks and volunteer trail work.
Visit
Allegheny Trail
Nonprofit
West Virginia's roughly 300-mile north–south long-distance hiking trail.
Visit
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Nonprofit
Particularly important around Harpers Ferry and the Eastern Panhandle, where the ATC is headquartered.
Visit
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
Nonprofit
Important for trails, shelters and cabins in West Virginia's eastern region.
Visit
Gaia GPS
Platform
Offline topographic mapping with USGS quads, forest service layers and route planning — essential in West Virginia's poor cell coverage.
Visit
onX Backcountry
Platform
Offline mapping with public/private land boundary data, valuable in West Virginia's patchwork ownership.
Visit
Avenza Maps
Platform
Georeferenced PDF maps including official Monongahela National Forest and USGS quadrangles for offline use.
Visit
FarOut Guides
Platform
Long-distance trail guides with waypoint data, used for the Appalachian Trail through the Eastern Panhandle.
Visit
U.S. Forest Service — Monongahela National Forest
Federal
919,000 acres of public land open to hunting, dispersed camping, hiking and backcountry use.
Visit
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
Nonprofit
Long-running public lands advocacy for the Monongahela National Forest, wilderness designation and highlands protection.
Visit
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Federal
Where the Appalachian Trail crosses the Potomac — hiking, history and the psychological midpoint of the AT.
Visit
Monongahela National Forest
Federal
919,000 acres including Dolly Sods, Otter Creek, Cranberry and Roaring Plains wilderness areas, Seneca Rocks and Spruce Knob.
Visit
Get Tuckered — Tucker County
Government
Davis, Thomas, Canaan Valley, Blackwater Falls and Dolly Sods — the state's highest-density adventure county.
Visit
Elkins–Randolph County Tourism
Government
Gateway to the central Monongahela National Forest, Otter Creek and the Cheat Mountain corridor.
Visit
Eastern Panhandle Tourism
Government
Jefferson and Berkeley county tourism — Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown and the Potomac corridor.
Visit