Hike #16: Bear Rocks to Raven Ridge to Dobbin Grade to Beaver View Trail (Dolly Sods Wilderness)
Hike #16 took me and my hiking partner, Rose, to a beautiful bit of wilderness in Monongahela National Forest, near Elkins, West Virginia, called Dolly Sods. The National Forest in its entirety will suck you in. But, Dolly Sods holds a special place in my heart. It’s the place where I really learned to appreciate the beauty of West Virginia. From windswept ridges dotted with lonely conifers to rocky outcrops overlooking the rolling hills way down below, the trail that Rose and I embarked on had views for days.
· Fast hike facts:
1. Dolly Sods Wilderness
3. Bear Rocks to Raven Ridge to Dobbin Grade to Beaver View Trail
4. 39.23093641775064, -79.23919390437844
5. ~12 Miles
6. ~6 Hours
It is truly a wilderness and removes you from all modern comforts except for one established campground with a pit toilet and, depending on your carrier, barely any cell service. To put it simply, Dolly Sods is a world of its own.
There are a few ways to pitch a tent in Dolly Sods. You can stay at Red Creek Campground, which is an established campground with maybe 12 sites total to choose from. However, it is first come first serve and I have never been able to snag a site. Also bring cash to pay for your site if you plan on attempting to camp there. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but if you plan on staying the night you should absolutely be prepared to find a place in the wilderness to pitch a tent. It’s a lot easier than it sounds, I promise.
In Dolly Sods, you can camp anywhere as long as your campsite is 300 feet from the road. There are a lot of places with already established fire rings and flat ground to set up camp! The same can be said for backpackers -- keep your eye out for established fire rings. The loop that Rose and I hiked had plenty of unoccupied spots in some really beautiful parts of the wilderness.
Something that needs to be noted if you plan on spending the night in Dolly Sods -- bring water or a water filtration system. If I only plan on camping and not backpacking, I typically bring a gallon container or two of water for breakfast, coffee in the morning, etc. However, backpacking is another story and I am going to emphasize the importance of bringing a water filtration device to use at one of the many stream crossings you’ll encounter along your trek. Personally, I use the Sawyer Squeeze system just to give you guys an idea of the type of filtration system I’m referencing. There are a lot of filtration system options out there and I definitely recommend looking into them before hiking anywhere without a potable water source.
I would rate this trail as moderate, mostly because of the length. When Rose and I get together we tend to hike hard so we decided to make this day hike a 12 mile loop. But, there are an abundance of loop options when referencing a trail map of Dolly Sods which I will link below!
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5152038.pdf
Referencing this map leads me to another important point. Dolly Sods is a lot more remote than most of the other hikes that I have reviewed so far and I want to emphasize the importance of bringing a map and knowing how to read it, as well as bringing a compass and knowing how to orient yourself with respect to your map. Everyone gets turned around sometimes and it’s really important that you have a plan in the event that it happens to you.
Trail conditions in Dolly Sods can change rapidly along with the weather. It stormed on and off throughout our hike, bringing me to my next important point -- gear. The most important bits of gear (aside from a water filtration system) I think you need for this hike includes (but is not limited to):
Waterproof footwear with good traction - Dolly Sods transitions in and out of boggy terrain and my foot was swallowed a couple of times.
Hiking poles - your knees will thank you and they help to serve as 3rd and 4th points of contact at stream crossings and help you find sturdier places to step in those boggy areas. At some points along the Dobbin Grade trail this is especially useful.
A waterproof pack cover - my pack would have been soaked along with all of my important gear without one of these.
A raincoat!!!!! - getting stuck in the rain without one of these can not only suck, but can be dangerous depending on temperature and wind conditions. No one wants hypothermia.
Bear spray - you are in bear country. Bear spray is a relatively beneficial defensive tactic for you and the bear. If a bear attacks a human they are at risk of being euthanized. Let’s keep both parties safe and check out this NPS link on bear safety: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm
If you are an avid All Trails user like myself, this particular loop is not yet an option via the app, so Rose and I used a paper map to piece together this loop ourselves. Again, emphasizing the importance of bringing your own map and knowing how to read it.
Trailhead directions can be found on All Trails or using the coordinates above!
If you want to find out more about Dolly Sods or Monongahela National Forest in general, check out:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=12366
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