Spring
time of year
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Dolly Sods Wilderness, WV. The mountain drive here is so beautiful you almost don’t even need to hike into the wilderness. We chose the Beaver Dam Trail (1.4 miles total out and back, 285’ elevation). This is a beautiful hike down to the beaver pond where you can see the trees they’ve cut down the mud channels and walls around the beaver pond and house. We met a really nice man and his best friend who told us about his favorite hikes in the area for when we come back next time.
10
difficulty: 4
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Bear Rocks. Our new friend said Bear Rocks is usually so crowded that he doesn’t even bother visiting it anymore. We must have been incredibly lucky because we got to visit it all on our own. It’s 100% worth the hype with incredible 360 degree views from huge outcropping of rocks. We climbed the entire length of them.
https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/bear-rocks-preserve/
10
difficulty: 1
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The drive back down the mountain is also beautiful. On the way to our next destination we passed by Champe and Seneca Rocks, both part of the same line of the durable white/gray Tuscarora quartzite that runs along this mountain range.
9.5
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The highest point, at 48i63’, in West Virginia is Spruce Knob. Spruce Mountain is the highest ridge in the Allegheny Mountains and is thought to have begun its formation 570 to 500 million years ago! Red spruce line Whispering Spruce Trail, the path to the observation tower and the interpretative loop around Spruce Knob (0.17 mile loop). They smell like Christmas trees. The drive to the top goes through several different forests with epic views along it. The high point is just the cherry on top. One of our favorite high points so far.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=7053
9.8
difficulty: 1
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Sleep Inn, Staunton, VA.
Price: $160/2night
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