LANEVILLE, W.Va. — At more than 4,000 feet above sea level, the Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia has become one of the most recognizable outdoor recreation destinations in the Appalachian Mountains.
Once considered remote and difficult to reach, the completion of the US-48 expressway from Washington, D.C., has dramatically changed how people experience the sods. What was once a hidden highland plateau is now accessible to thousands, drawing larger crowds each year.
On busy days in spring, summer, and fall, trailheads that were once nearly empty now overflow with cars. (In winter, however, the Dolly Sods are closed, when cold winds and heavy snow render the area impassable.)
Covering more than 17,000 acres of rocky plateau and featuring unrivaled panoramic views, Dolly Sods is celebrated worldwide for its spectacular scenery, delicate ecosystems, and its power to leave lasting impressions on visitors.
Scott Durham, who has been camping and guiding at Dolly Sods for decades, says there's something here that doesn’t exist anywhere else in West Virginia or the eastern U.S.
“Dolly Sods is just different,” Durham said. “You go up there, and it feels like a different world. You’ve got these open vistas, these bogs and rocks, spruce trees, and you can see for miles and miles. It’s not what people think of when they think of West Virginia.”
Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia
The Dolly Sods Wilderness was established by Congress in 1975 and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the 919,000-acre Monongahela National Forest. The high plateau rises from 2,600 feet to more than 4,000 feet along the Allegheny Front.
According to the Forest Service, its expansive views make Dolly Sods “one of the most popular wilderness areas in the eastern United States.” Durham has seen firsthand how improved access, especially after the US-48 expressway, has fueled that popularity.
“You go up there during the summer these days, and the lots are packed,” he said. “Every trailhead you go to, there are cars lined along the roads. Folks are coming from everywhere, not even West Virginia, but Ohio, Pennsylvania, D.C.—all over. It’s a destination.”
Dolly Sods Weather and Landscape
The Forest Service describes Dolly Sods as a region of extremes where frost can occur any month of the year, sudden storms are common, and weather shifts quickly. Its bogs, heath barrens, meadows, and rock plains resemble Canada more than Appalachia.
Durham said those weather extremes are part of the appeal. “It’s sunny and pleasant one minute, and then a cloud comes and you can’t see 10 feet down the road,” Durham said. “You have to really respect the place. It’s beautiful, but it’ll humble you.”
He warns that “wilderness” truly means wilderness. “There are no signs, no blazes, no cell coverage. You need to know how to read a map and compass or at least be willing to get lost,” Durham said. “I have watched people up there in flip-flops and with one bottle of water, and they don’t even know what they are getting themselves into.”
Dolly Sods crowds and hiking pressure
For decades, Dolly Sods was remote and lightly visited. That has changed dramatically in recent years, thanks to faster access from Washington, D.C., and surrounding states. The Forest Service now cautions that visitors should expect heavy use, especially in summer and fall, and advises arriving early to find parking at Bear Rocks, Red Creek, and Blackbird Knob.
Durham remembers when the experience was very different. “When I first started going up there, you could hike all day and maybe see one or two other individuals,” he explained.
“Now, on a Saturday, it’s like a highway on some of the trails. You’ll see packs of dogs, big backpacking groups, photographers, everybody. It’s good because people are getting out and looking at it, but it’s hard because the trails get trashed.”
Still, he said, solitude remains for those willing to seek it. “If you get off the highways, you can still have solitude,” Durham said. “You drive out to Lion’s Head or down into some of the hollows, and you’re alone for hours. That’s the magic of it — the crowds are at the trailheads, but the wilderness is still there.”
Dolly Sods history and logging impacts
Dolly Sods bears the marks of its past. Clear-cutting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was followed by wildfires that scorched the plateau. Today, red spruce, heath, and open meadows dominate, but scars remain. The result of that scarring, however, created the tundra-like environment that defines the sods today.
“You’re going to be walking along and there are these huge old stumps there, or you’ll see where the fires scorched the ground,” Durham said. “It’s amazing to envision how it was a hundred years ago compared to now. Nature heals, but it leaves scars too.”
Dolly Sods Hiking Trails
The Forest Service maintains nearly 50 miles of trail, though many follow old rail grades and aren’t always well marked. Popular hikes include Bear Rocks to Raven Ridge, Rohrbaugh Plains, and Blackbird Knob. Durham said every season offers something new.
“Every season is special up there,” Durham said. “In the spring, you’ve got the wildflowers in the meadows. Summer, all the green, everything’s growing. Fall is just incredible — the colors, the blueberries, the chill in the air. Even winter, if you can stand it, is just another dimension. Snow blowing sideways off the boulders — like you’re on the top of the world.”
Dolly Sods: Leave-No-Trace
The Forest Service urges visitors to practice Leave-No-Trace principles, noting that Dolly Sods is especially fragile. Campfires are restricted in places, group sizes are limited, and plants take years to recover from damage.
Durham stresses the same point. “It doesn’t take much to damage the place,” he said. “One tent in a meadow, one fire ring in the wrong spot, and it’s there for years. People need to realize this isn’t a campground. It’s a wilderness, and we’ve got to treat it that way.”
He often brings newcomers to teach them the value of the landscape. “When I take friends up there, I always tell them — you’re going into something special,” Durham says. “It’s not a park that you walk a loop and go home. It’s wild, and it’ll always be wild if we treat it right.”
Dolly Sods as a dark-sky destination
Dolly Sods Wilderness has also gained a reputation as one of West Virginia’s premier dark sky destinations. Far removed from major cities and shielded from light pollution by its high elevation, the sods offer remarkably clear night skies where the Milky Way stretches in dazzling detail from horizon to horizon.
On crisp summer and fall nights, stargazers gather at overlooks like Bear Rocks to watch meteor showers, trace constellations, and experience a sky that feels untouched by modern glow.
For amateur astronomers and casual visitors alike, Dolly Sods provides one of the most awe-inspiring celestial views in the eastern United States — a reminder that the wilderness is as spectacular above as it is below.
Why Dolly Sods matters
For Durham, Dolly Sods is not just another hiking destination. “I’ve done it all—out West, up North, down South,” he said. “But Dolly Sods is home. It’s where I go to reset, to remind me of what’s important. Every time I’m up there, I feel like I’m looking at it again for the first time.”
Even with the traffic brought on by the new highway and the growing crowds, he insists the wilderness remains worth the effort.
“It’s worth it,” Durham said. “Even with the crowds, even with the mud, even when you’re lost — it’s worth every step. Dolly Sods is one of those places that gets into your blood.”
Map of Dolly Sods Wilderness
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