The leaves have almost all changed as fall finally takes hold in the Mountain State, and with that I wanted to pick the brain of my co-workers about where their favorite spots in and around West Virginia to hike are. In this you’ll read the thoughts of myself, Andrea Contaldi and Chris Schulz. All of us love exploring, and we hope this gives you some new ideas on where to escape to in the coming months or in 2021.
Andrew Spellman, Sports and Outdoors Writer
Dolly Sods Wilderness
Do you hike, backpack or do both? I do both.
What’s your favorite place to hike and backpack and why? My favorite spot is Dolly Sods. It’s beautiful year-round and is one of the coolest places east of the Mississippi River. I also love its history and think the fact that we have a boreal forest in West Virginia when they’re typically found in Canada is awesome.
What’s your favorite season to hike and backpack? I like backpacking in mid- to late Fall. The temperature drop is great, and I don’t like dealing with bugs. I love hiking in winter, though. There’s nothing more fun to me than climbing the side of a mountain in the snow. I’ve never backpacked in winter, though, so I can’t share my opinion on that.
What are the other places you like to hike? I just hiked the Cranberry Wilderness and loved it. I also really enjoy the Raven Rock trail at Coopers Rock and the Seneca Rocks summit trail. Outside of West Virginia, Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont, Md., is beautiful and Maryland Heights across the river from Harpers Ferry is great.
What are other places you want to hike or take a backpacking trip through in the next year? I’d love to do a backpacking trip through the Otter Creek Wilderness and fish for trout. I’d like to do some hiking through Kumbrabrow State Forest, too. Outside of West Virginia, I’d like to do a backpacking trip through one of the western national parks like Grand Teton National Park.
Chris Schulz, Digital Editor
Great Allegheny Passage (C&O Canal Rail Trail)
Do you hike, backpack or do both? I haven’t backpacked in a long time, but I do both.
What’s your favorite place to hike and backpack and why? In the Morgantown area, White Park. I like running in there all the time. If you were to include the mountain bike trails there’s a lot to explore in that little patch of land which I think is really cool. More broadly, though, the C&O Canal [Great Allegheny Passage] Trail. That’s the area I grew up. It extends over to Cumberland and I think it’s a beautiful trail. Backpacking, I can’t really say much because it’s something I’m trying to get back into.
What’s your favorite season to hike and backpack? Fall, because you see a drop off with the two most frustrating things for hiking: Insects and excessive temperatures.
What are the other places you like to hike? Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park near D.C. There’s a great geological formation in the Potomac that you can see by hiking the Billy Goat Trail.
What are other places you want to hike or take a backpacking trip through in the next year? No question, Dolly Sods is really high up on that list and even more broadly the national forests. Some connector trails in Coopers Rock. Savage River State Forest in Maryland.
Andrea Contaldi, Digital Ads Representative
Seneca Rocks Overlook Trail (Pocahontas County, W.Va.)
Do you hike, backpack or do both? I just hike.
What’s your favorite place to hike and backpack and why? Seneca Rocks. The overlook was well worth it. It was a really tough hike and I was happy I made it to the top.
What’s your favorite season to hike and backpack? Fall, no doubt.
What are the other places you like to hike? I don’t know if it’s considered a hike, but Cranberry Glade. The overlook at Spruce Knob was really cool, too.
What are other places you want to hike or take a backpacking trip through in the next year? I’m trying to hike as many places around West Virginia, but Dolly Sods. It’s so pretty, oh my gosh. Especially now with the leaves changing colors.
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