In the southern Allegheny Mountains near Hillsboro, West Virginia, the Cranberry Glades include someย 750 acresย of peat bog and meadows that support plants common to Canada and more northerly latitudes. Cranberries,ย sphagnum mosses,ย skunk cabbages, and twoย carnivorous plantsย -- sundews and pitcher plants -- are found in the glades.
The glades are protected as theย Cranberry Glades Botanical Area, part of theย Monongahela National Forest. The botanical area was designated aย National Natural Landmark in 1974.
The glades are part of the headwaters of theย Cranberry River, a popularย troutย stream and are adjacent to the nearly 50,000-acre andย Cranberry Wilderness, also part of the national forest.
The glades also appear as a locale in the Fallout 76 video game.
Visiting Cranberry Glades
The U.S. Forest Service maintains a boardwalk that circles through part of the glades as well as a series of trails that encircle the botanical area. Visitors are prohibited from leaving trails and boardwalks and wandering into the delicate bog environment. Visit cranberry site.
