Straddling a windswept section of the Allegheny Front, West Virginia’s Dolly Sods Wilderness offers what is heralded by some as the best hiking on the eastern seaboard. The Dolly Sods North hike is arguably the best of the best: a stunning, 10.6-mile stem-and-loop through blissful meadows and spruce forests with terrific views of the Canaan …
Continue reading Dolly Sods North Loop (Dolly Sods Wilderness, WV)
Live and Let Hike hit its stride in 2016, nearly tripling the number of visitors and page views seen in 2015. I also passed a new milestone—my 200th blog post—and greatly expanded the geographic breadth and depth of hike descriptions, including posts from Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, DC, and Quebec. Taking a break …
The area between Virginia’s Sky Meadows State Park and West Virginia’s Harper’s Ferry boasts a section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) billed as the “Roller Coaster,” one of the AT’s toughest, up-and-down grinds. This 5-mile out-and-back to Raven Rocks covers a piece of the Roller Coaster, a hilly affair that ends at a scenic vista …
Continue reading Appalachian Trail to Raven Rocks (North Blue Ridge area, VA/WV)
Excepting the noisy ATV riders who frequently transit the area, Greenbrier State Forest in southeastern West Virginia is a largely quiet and peaceful destination for hikers and mountain bikers. Spanning the flanks of tree-covered Kates Mountain, Greenbrier is not known for its spectacular vistas; however, it does offer 13 miles of hiking trails that crisscross …
Continue reading Old Field Loop Trail (Greenbrier State Forest, WV)
Admittedly, the Tunnel Trail at New River Gorge National River in south-central West Virginia is a bit of a letdown sans its namesake attraction: a cave-like passage now closed to visitors. Barring deep structural fixes to the poorly-supported tunnel—historically a favorite among locals—the rock maze is likely to remain inaccessible for months or years to …
Continue reading Tunnel Trail (New River Gorge National River, WV)
Lacking the most creative nomenclature, the Grandview area at West Virginia’s New River Gorge National River nonetheless lives up to its name, boasting spectacular vistas and craggy cliffs. With New River some 1,400 feet below, the Castle Rock/Grandview Rim Trail loop leads hikers to some of the best viewpoints in the park. At least the …
Continue reading Castle Rock Trail Loop (New River Gorge National River, WV)
In addition to sporting picturesque cascades, majestic views, and a serene lake, Babcock State Park in south-central West Virginia also contains a small natural arch, a rarity in the area. Here weathering in the Nuttall Sandstone gives way to a shady and moss-covered span that is both easy to climb and pass through. The hike …
Continue reading Natural Arch Trail (Babcock State Park, WV)
It seems like every state park in America has a man-made reservoir, and Babcock State Park in south-central West Virginia is no exception. After checking out the area’s historic grist mill, beautiful waterfalls, and sweeping views, finish off your day with an easy-to-moderate loop hike around Boley Lake, stocked with trout between February and May …
Continue reading Lake View Trail Loop (Babcock State Park, WV)
Especially in the spring, when water levels are particularly high, the Skyline Trail – Narrow Gauge Trail Loop in Babcock State Park is simply spectacular. This 4,127-acre park in south-central West Virginia, often dwarfed by its larger and better-known neighbor, offers greater solitude and intimacy than New River Gorge National River. What the Skyline Trail …
Continue reading Skyline Trail – Narrow Gauge Trail Loop (Babcock State Park, WV)
Coal mining was once the ticket to wealth in rural West Virginia. Today it is a struggling industry—the number of coal jobs in the state has halved since 1983. Yet even as more coal mines close, they remain an integral part of West Virginia’s heritage, and a number of sites are protected by organizations like …
Continue reading Headhouse Trail (New River Gorge National River, WV)
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