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With my summer trip to Michigan canceled – I ran out of time to get my gear ready and tested, work constraints, and the difficultly in selecting a route from Chautauqua County to the Nordhouse Dunes in Michigan – I’ve been thinking more about a November trip. Maybe not to Michigan but to Ohio. I would like to see Ohio, another Appalachian State, and maybe some of West Virigina.

5 hrs ➔ Allegheny NF (PA)
3.5 hrs ➔ Wayne NF (OH)
3 hrs ➔ Monongahela NF (WV)

It seems like it would work good with time. The final leg back to Albany is a bit sketchy with time and daylight, though I could either do County Bridge Campground PA if I reserved online, or do an overnight at Sugar Hill or Long Pond State Forest, if I take I-81 back, though that’s a very long day.

1. Allegheny National Forest (Pennsylvania)

Because you are in a truck camper, you can take advantage of Allegheny’s massive, legal roadside network.

• The Spot: Forest Road 160 (Loleta Road) or Forest Road 259 (Morrison Run). Both feature excellent, hardened, free dirt/gravel pulloffs built explicitly for dispersed vehicle camping.
• November Advantage: Allegheny’s heavy canopy opens up in late autumn, offering great views, but night temperatures frequently plummet below freezing.

2. Wayne National Forest – Athens Unit (Ohio)

From PA, you will take I-79 South to I-70 West / US-33 East to drop straight into Athens County.

• The Spot: Utah Ridge Road (FR 259) or Wildcat Hollow Trailhead as explored above.
• The Route Pivot: Camp here for a night or two to break up the drive before crossing the Ohio River into the high mountains of West Virginia.

3. Monongahela National Forest (West Virginia)

Heading southeast from Ohio via US-50 East or US-33 East brings you straight into the “Mon.”

• The Spot: Gandy Creek Dispersed Area (County Route 29 / Forest Road 17). This is legendary for truck campers. It features miles of wide, flat, completely free roadside pull-outs right along a pristine trout stream.
• November Advantage: Deep valley walls block high mountain winter winds.

4. Canaan Heights & Canaan Valley (West Virginia)

Just a short, scenic drive up the mountain from Gandy Creek via Route 32 North brings you to the high plateau of Davis and Thomas, WV.

• The Spot: Canaan Heights Road (Forest Road 13). Located just outside the town of Davis, this rugged mountain ridge road enters a pocket of Monongahela NF land. There are a handful of tight, rocky primitive truck pulloffs near the premium overlook trailheads.
• Critical Backup: If Canaan Heights gets hit with early lake-effect snow (very common in mid-November at 3,000+ feet), slide down into the valley floor and use the electric/heated hookup sites at Canaan Valley Resort State Park or the winter camping pads at Blackwater Falls State Park.