Beartown Boardwalk

From Rt. 219 about 7 miles south of Hillsboro, West Virginia, there are well-marked signs for Beartown State Park. This narrow road winds about a mile until the small parking area for the state park.   The boardwalk trail starts to the left of the bathrooms, and it is encouraged to walk the trail in a counter-clockwise direction, while reading the interpretive signs.  There are many rocks and c...

From the parking lot, the paved handicap-accessible trail switchbacks to a view of the upper falls (20'). The falls are a bit hard to see from the viewpoint, so it's best to continue down the trail.  At the upper falls the trail changes to wooden stairs that descend gradually down. You will cross a wooden bridge over the stream, then there will be a viewing platform for the middle falls off to ...

From the parking lot, the boardwalk trail breaks off of the right side of the lot.  The boardwalk loop should be done in a clockwise direction and there are signs to direct you.  The 1/2 mile boardwalk offers great views of the surrounding bog and mountains.  The boardwalk itself is skirted by ferns, wild cranberry plants, orchids, and even some carnivorous plants.  Although the walk is short, ...

To reach High Rocks trailhead, drive about 3.3 miles along West Virginia’s Highland Scenic Highway (HW150) from Cranberry Mountain Nature Center. The parking lot and trailhead will be on the right side of the road. The High Rocks trail is 3.1 miles out and back and is fairly flat as it follows a ridge line most of the way. The dirt trail is well marked with blue diamond blazes and is very easy ...

This scenic overlook is along the Highland Scenic Highway. The highway runs through the Monongahela National Forest. The overlook has an amazing view and is a great area to explore. There are two trails that lead off from the overlook and they have a gorgeous spruce forests.  

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 ...