Backpack the Cranberry Wilderness North South Loop Trail

Marlinton, West Virginia

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Details

Distance

17.1 miles

Elevation Gain

1617 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Stephen Catalano

A beautiful, rugged, and remote wilderness area in West Virginia.

The Cranberry Wilderness is lesser known, but if you're looking for a rugged escape, this is it. Be mindful of your water intake, as there are a few stretches upwards of 6-8 miles where there is no access to fresh water. Those areas are well-known in most of the hiking blogs/guides (I'd recommend starting here and don't forget to checkout the .gov page for any advisories).

I've unfortunately forgotten where we came across it, but we ended up camping in an old camping hut one night. It had a raise floor, a roof, and a fire pit, all next to a cold stream. If you come across it, make note of its location and leave it in the comments!

Here is a link to a trail map for the wilderness area.

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Features

Camping

Photography

Backpacking

Hiking

Forest

River

Scenic

Wildflowers

Wildlife

Swimming Hole

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