ELKINS, W.Va. — Travelers heading into the Monongahela National Forest during West Virginia’s fall recreation season will encounter two more road closures, including restrictions along Cranberry River Road near Richwood and Forest Road 19 along the eastern side of the Dolly Sods area.
U.S. Forest Service officials announced the closures Wednesday as construction continues on roads across the nearly one-million-acre national forest. The latest restrictions follow several other road projects announced this summer that have affected access to popular areas for camping, fishing, hiking, hunting and scenic driving.
The longer of the two new closures affects Forest Road 76, commonly known as Cranberry River Road, a major route into the forest north of Richwood. That closure began Sept. 8 and may remain in effect through Nov. 20, potentially overlapping much of West Virginia’s fall foliage and hunting seasons.
A second closure will affect 5.3 miles of Forest Road 19 beginning Sept. 14. Through traffic will be prohibited through Sept. 25.
Cranberry River Road closing in two stages
The forest service is restricting access to portions of Forest Road 76 during construction, with closures occurring in two stages.
The first section closed Sept. 8 and is expected to remain closed for approximately four weeks. After work there is completed, construction will move to a second section. The closure order remains in effect through Nov. 20 unless rescinded earlier.
Visitors may not travel beyond construction barriers, including barricades, lighted signs, and traffic cones.
Forest service planning documents identify two landslide-repair projects along Forest Road 76, including one approximately four miles north of Richwood and another in the Cranberry Backcountry approximately eight miles northeast of the city.
The road follows the Cranberry River into one of the largest expanses of public backcountry in West Virginia and provides access to recreation areas used by anglers, campers, hikers and hunters.
Because the closure is scheduled to extend well into November, visitors traveling into the area during the fall should check current road conditions before choosing a route.
Forest Road 19 closure affects Dolly Sods area
Farther north, the forest service will close a 5.3-mile section of Forest Road 19 from Sept. 14 through Sept. 25.
The closure begins at the intersection of Forest Roads 75 and 19 and extends east to the intersection of County Road 28 and Forest Road 19.
Forest Roads 19 and 75 follow the eastern side of the Dolly Sods Scenic Area, which adjoins the Dolly Sods Wilderness. Forest Service planning documents show that work along the roads includes improvements to parking areas, signage, and access to overlooks.
Residents and landowners will still be able to reach their properties from either Forest Road 75 or County Road 28, depending on the property’s location, but through traffic will not be permitted.
Visitors are prohibited from passing road-construction barriers.
Timing could be especially important for travelers because the high elevations around Dolly Sods are among the first areas of West Virginia to develop autumn color. Fall foliage typically progresses from the state’s highest mountains toward lower elevations as the season advances.
Other Monongahela road projects began this summer
The new restrictions follow a series of road closures that began in July as the Forest Service undertook construction and environmental projects elsewhere in the Monongahela National Forest.
Among the largest involved Forest Road 86, or Williams River Road, between Forest Road 216 and West Virginia Route 150. Crews have been repairing flood damage and improving drainage and road safety, with different sections closing as construction progresses.
Other work temporarily affected Forest Roads 17 and 44 in the upper Greenbrier River watershed while crews replaced stream crossings designed to improve passage for native fish and other aquatic wildlife.
The projects are part of a broader period of road and recreation improvements across the national forest.
Visitors should not assume a destination is closed just because a particular forest road is closed. Many recreation areas remain accessible, although reaching them may require approaching from another direction or taking a substantially longer route.
Travelers should check conditions before entering the forest
The Monongahela National Forest covers nearly one million acres across the mountains of eastern West Virginia and includes some of the state’s best-known destinations for camping, trout fishing, backpacking, hunting, and fall foliage viewing.
Its recreation areas include the Cranberry Wilderness, Dolly Sods Wilderness, Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, and the Highland Scenic Highway, along with hundreds of miles of forest roads and trails.
Because construction schedules and access can change as work progresses, forest service officials ask visitors to check current conditions before traveling and obey all posted closures.
The agency says it will post additional information as construction progresses.