The Bear Rocks Trail in Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia, is a moderate 2.2 mile out-and-back hike to the intersection of Dobbin Grade Trail (TR-526) or an easy 4.8 mile out-and-back hike to the intersection of Raven Ridge Trail (TR-521) further west into Dolly Sods.
Along the way you'll find blueberry bushes and excellent scenery of the sods. You'll cross Red Creek, which lies just beyond the intersection of the Dobbin Grade Trail with a few primitive campsites nearby. If you plan to backpack further into the sods, make sure you fill up plenty of water from Red Creek as this is one of the last water sources available heading west.
Once leaving Red Creek, you'll hike up a hill and at the top you get stunning views of Dolly Sods. Hike another 0.8 miles to the intersection of the Raven Ridge Trail (TR-521).
Warning: Dolly Sods was used for military bombing training during
WWII and there are still unexploded ordinances in the ground out in the
wilderness. Most of these trails and the areas around them have been
combed and searched, but not everything has been found. If you find any
strange metal objects, especially bomb-shaped, do not tamper with them.
Make a note of where you found it and alert the proper authorities. More
information can be found at the wilderness trailheads.
Dolly Sods trail map PDF
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