DSNbackground

Background of Dolly Sods North

Up until 1993, the area north of Dolly Sods Wilderness now known as Dolly Sods North was controlled by Quintana Corporation, a crude, petroleum and natural gas extraction company based in Houston Texas. In 1993, The WV Nature Conservancy brokered a deal to acquire 6100 acres of this land. The land was then turned over in two donations to the U.S. Forest Service to manage as part of the Monongahela National Forest system. Although the Dolly Sods North area was added to the Monongahela National forest more than 10 years ago, it has yet to be given a specific management plan.

For more on the history of the entire Dolly Sods area, click here.

What Dolly Sods North has to offer

Like the Dolly Sods Wilderness area bordering to the south, Dolly Sods North is a unique and beautiful place. Where the Dolly Sods Wilderness ends at it's northern boundary, Dolly Sods North begins, providing access to wide open high elevation plains and bogs. Grasses and heath cover much of the area along with isolated stands of Red Spruce, Hemlock, American Beech, and Red Maple. Visitors will immediately notice that many of the trees in this area are either leaning or one sided due to the strong winds that blow across the plateau.

A wide variety of wildlife can be found in the Dolly Sods area. Visitors seeking opportunities to view wildlife will find numerous species of birds, mammals, and even different kinds of amphibians and reptiles. It is not uncommon to see or find evidence of the rarer species such as black bears, eagles, snowshoe hares, and the endangered northern flying squirrel, all of which inhabit the area.

The future of Dolly Sods North

Dolly Sods North is not currently not designated under a specific management plan. This fact makes the area unique to all other areas in the Monongahela National Forest which are specifically managed, used, and protected in different ways. Citizens and groups such as the West Virginia Sierra Club, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, and The Wilderness Society have joined forces in a push to have Dolly Sods North and parts of the Dolly Sods Scenic area added to the existing Dolly Sods Wilderness. The addition would increase Dolly Sods Wilderness from 10,215 acres to 17,359 acres. After exploring both Dolly Sods Wilderness and Dolly Sods North, this designation only seems logical. Dolly Sods North meets all criteria for wilderness designation, borders the entire northern part of Dolly Sods Wilderness, and shares a connected trail system. With steep ridges on both sides and private property to the north, most of the Dolly Sods plateau and Red Creek watershed would be protected.

Besides Dolly Sods North, there are 14 other areas proposed for wilderness designation as the Monongahela National Forest continues to review and revise its current forest management plan.

Opportunities for recreation are excellent. Whether its backpacking, viewing wildlife, hunting, or just sightseeing, Dolly Sods North offers something for everyone. DSN is also very accessible. You can access the SW corner trailheads from FR 80, and the entire eastern boundary from FR 75. FR 75 provides access to numerous trailheads and points of interest along the east side of both areas. Red Creek Campground is located on FR 75 just north of the Dolly Sods Wilderness boundary. A parking area across from the campground provides convenient access to the Blackbird Knob trailhead.

Last fall, trailhead signs were posted throughout DSN. Nearly 20 miles of excellent trails are present within Dolly Sods North*. The established trails connect directly to, and provide a perfect and logical complement to the DSW trail system. When the trail systems of the two area are combined, there is a total of roughly 50 miles of trails to explore.

One of the main draws of the Dolly Sods area is the beautiful rugged terrain and scenery. Dolly Sods Wilderness attracts some because of the "wilderness" designation alone. Backcountry travelers coming to these areas should be prepared for weather extremes (temperatures, high winds, fog), rocky, wet, muddy trails, and tests of their navigating ability. And although DSN is not protected under wilderness designation, special care should always be taken to reduce impacts. Leave No Trace Principles should always be practiced and users should know all area rules and regulations. For general backpacking tips and information, visit thebackpacker.com.

* During WWII, military exercises took place in the Dolly Sods area. Sweeps of the area have been done, but there may be mortars that remain in the ground unexploded. Take caution when traveling off trail and report the existence and location of any mortars that are found.

I believe it was the first time I got a little turned around (i.e. lost) in the area north of the Dolly Sods Wilderness that motivated me to dig up as much as information as I could about the area and the trails. I vowed to return in order to redeem myself. Unfortunately (and to my frustration), there wasn't a whole lot of information out there about Dolly Sods North, and most current maps and guides are were not up to date or accurate enough to explore the area with complete confidence.

The purpose of this section is to provide this information and to promote what DSN has to offer. I will admit that while building the site I began to consider the pros and cons of doing such a project. On one hand, the area is wonderfully unique and contains a very good trail system (with new trailhead signs). Anyone who enjoys hiking will love DSN, especially in conjunction with Dolly Sods Wilderness. On the other hand, I thought that promoting the area might just result in negative things like increased visitation, decreased solitude, trail degradation, etc. It wasn't until near completion of the site that I stumbled across the quote below that put my mind more at ease.

John Muir would have had similar concerns in his time, but the opportunity to share such special places and their opportunities with others is what was most important. Despite the inevitable drawbacks of popularity, Dolly Sods North is an area that should be known and used, so long as the area is managed properly. At this time the current status and future of DSN is still a bit unclear. In order to better understand Dolly Sods North as it is today, it would be helpful to know some of its background. Continue to the next page for more about Dolly Sods North.