Winter Hiking in Monongahela National Forest

I spent part of President’s Day weekend returning to one of my favorite places – West Virginia. There’s just something about mountains, remoteness, and food/drink that keeps us coming back. This time, we explored Monongahela National Forest for Blackwater Falls, Seneca Rocks, and Spruce Knob, and we stayed in Elkins.

Blackwater Falls

These falls are one of the most photographed spots in West Virginia, which is why we made them our first stop. The falls get their name because of the way that fallen hemlock and red spruce needles tint the color of the water. To see the falls, visitors can visit several different viewing areas that aren’t far from parking spots – we definitely liked that when we knew the weather might be cold. If you are visiting in warmer weather though, the park does have some hiking trails and other outdoor activities.

Lucky for us, the weather was surprisingly dry and warm when we got to the falls, so we parked at the falls parking by the trading post to check out the falls (see the park map here). Afterwards we drove to the Pendleton Point Overlook for incredible views of the Blackwater River and valley below. With the nicer weather, we did decide to do some hiking, so we parked by the lodge and hiked along the Elkala Trail. Unfortunately, the weather started to take a turn, so our hiking came to an end, but the park is full of many trails. Most of them are pretty short (less than 1 or 2 miles), but they connect with each other and could be paired for a longer hike.

As we drove from the park to Elkins, we learned that Mountain State Brewing Company, the largest brewery in West Virginia, is right by Blackwater Falls. We decided not to stop because we were worried about driving my two-door Honda Civic through the mountains with impending snow. Next time we are in that area, we definitely want to stop at the brewery. We’ve been drinking their beer for years now (try the Almost Heaven Amber Ale) – it’s all so good, and their West-Virginia spirit is fun too. If you’re in the area, a visit to this brewery is a must.

Seneca Rocks

Along with Blackwater Falls, we had to see Seneca Rocks on this trip. These unique rock formations are probably the most iconic natural feature in the state. They’re popular among climbers, fishers, and of course hikers. Admittedly, the best view of the rocks is from the parking lot, but the 1.3 mile trail to close to the top of them provides a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. Even with the colder weather, we really enjoyed this hike. While the trail was somewhat steep and takes you up over 700 feet in elevation, the hike wasn’t too strenuous. It was definitely my favorite hike of the whole trip.

Seneca Rocks aren’t located by very much, but there area few places nearby to grab a bite. Harper’s Old Country Store has a restaurant with some good looking pizza, but their restaurant was closed for winter. Next door, we stopped at Yokum’s Grocery and Deli – luckily their deli was open! There wasn’t anything spectacular about the food, but it was cheap, and the chili dog, fries, and homemade peanut butter fudge were just what we needed after our snowy hike. The deli is also located right across the street from Seneca Rocks, so we loved looking out at the rocks and the falling snow while we ate lunch.

Spruce Knob

Located just a 30-40 minute drive from Seneca Rocks, Spruce Knob is the perfect place to continue hiking. It’s the highest point in West Virginia, at 4,863 feet above sea level and has breathtaking 360-views of the surrounding area (see the featured photo for this post). Had the weather been better for us, we would have spent more time hiking on the Whispering Spruce Trail (0.5 miles) around the knob for great views and the Huckleberry Trail (5.2 miles). There are actually about 60 miles of trails in the area! We definitely want to go back and maybe camp in the area so we can enjoy more of the trails and the lake.

Elkins

We decided to stay in Elkins due to its close proximity to both Seneca Rocks and Blackwater Falls. It’s definitely a small West Virginia town, but it has all the essentials: grocery store, local brewery, a few restaurants. Our favorite was definitely visiting Big Timber Brewing Company. They had a pretty wide selection of beers and a cute atmosphere.

For dinner, we went to C.J. Maggie’s. The food wasn’t anything amazing to me, but it was pretty good. The restaurant did give huge portions for very cheap prices. If you get a side, you definitely should order the “Potato Yacht” – basically mashed potatoes covered with yummy toppings and put back into the potato skin – SO GOOD.

If we’re ever in the area again, I would like to check out El Gran Sabor, a Venezuelan restaurant that has live music at times. We also looked into Vintage Restaurant & Wine Bar and Mama Mia Pie and Pasta.

There you have it! That was all that we did in our short little one night getaway, and I’m already ready to go back! If you’re planning a trip to see more of the state, definitely check out my other posts on West Virginia on the New River Gorge, Charleston, Fayetteville, and Point
Pleasant (Mothman anyone?).

Have you been to West Virginia? What are your favorite places?

Like this post? Save it for later by pinning this image on Pinterest!