In West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, the Dolly Sods Wilderness features sweeping vistas, spruce and aspen groves, beautiful meadows, beaver dams and rolling creeks. The area is also home to several intersecting trails, offering a selection of loop options for multi-day hikes of varying levels of difficulty.
The Rohrbaugh Trail—also known as the Rohrbaugh Plains Trail—extends north from the Dolly Sods Picnic Area on an old logging railroad corridor that serviced the once-bustling timber industry in this area. The trail is heavily wooded, and rhododendrons envelop the corridor near the 1.5 mile mark. Farther north, the trail opens up onto rock cliffs, offering stunning mountain views.
At the trail’s northern end, pick up the Fisher Spring Run Trail to extend your trek and access additional hiking opportunities in the Dolly Sods Wilderness. Just south of the trail junction, the short but popular Wildlife Trail provides a route east to Forest Road 75.
To reach the Rohrbaugh Trail from Petersburg, take State Route 55/28 west for approximately 10 miles, then turn right on Jordan Run Road. In less than a mile, take the first left onto Forest Road 19. After about 6 miles, FR 75 joins FR 19 on the right; stay left to continue on FR 19. The Dolly Sods Picnic Area and trailhead are just west of the intersection.
Keep your wits about you. Rocky, steep and various terrains along this trail that never ends. Hiked it and survived, only to fall immediately asleep when getting in the car!
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