Dolly Sods Wilderness

The 17,371 acre Dolly Sods Wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. It is located in Grant, Randolph, and Tucker Counties, West Virginia. The Dolly Sods Wilderness contains much of the Red Creek drainage and contains bog and heath eco-types, more commonly typical to southern Canada. Elevations range from 2,500 to over 4,700 feet. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mnf/recarea/?recid=12366

Afternoon at Dolly Sods

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After a rather cloudy morning at Dolly Sods, things cleared out. Exploring the western part of sods is interesting, it is much more like around Canaan Heights then the eastern portion which is mostly heath barren.

Taken on Friday October 27, 2023 at Dolly Sods Wilderness.

Beyond Red Creek to the Heath Barrens

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Looking across the Red Creek to Alder Run Trail which was impassable without getting quite wet due to high water levels in the Red Creek. While many of the colors were faded, there was still some nice color in the heath, it's bright red color emblematic of the Dolly Sods in the highest locations along the Allegheny Front.

Taken on Friday October 27, 2023 at Dolly Sods Wilderness.

Dolly Sods Hike on October 28, 2023

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I had never hiked the back part of Dolly Sods until last week. It was a nice hike, though I forgot about the wet crossing on the Red River and never got up to Appalachian Front or Bears Rocks as I had hoped.