Backpacking the Trout Run Valley Loop, also known as the Perry Valley Loop, offers a rewarding escape for backpackers seeking solitude and natural beauty. Straddling the border between West Virginia and Virginia, the approximately 30-mile circuit traverses the George Washington National Forest and the Wardensville Wildlife Management Area, revealing a diverse mix of landscapes—from dense forests to rugged ridgelines. Along the way, hikers are treated to sweeping views and pri

The following is an evolving list of plane crash hikes in the Northeast and Southeast, each with a brief description, location, and links on how to find them. If considering hiking to one of these sites, please recognize that several of them mark the loss of life and refrain from disturbing or removing any wreckage. United States Air Force T-28 Trojan Location Lyndhurst, Virginia A May 1, 1964 plane crash site located along the eastern slope of Humpback Mountain, just a handf

A good beginner backpacking loop in the heart of West Virginia's Cranberry Wilderness, one of the largest designated wilderness areas east of the Mississippi. The loop offers an incredible amount of solitude, landscapes similar to the Pacific Northwest, numerous waterfalls, and exceptional backcountry camping. Due to a few areas where the trail is challenging to locate, a downloaded trail map is recommended. In the spring, water shoes and hiking poles can prove useful when fo

An easy-going day hike with a small amount of off trail navigation leading to the wreckage of a US Air Force C-45 that crashed into Middle Mountain in West Virginia's Laurel Fork South Wilderness. Trail Info Length 3.8 miles Elevation gain 360 feet Route Out & back Permit required no Dogs allowed yes Trailhead elevation 3,110' Water throughout, along the Laurel Fork River Don't miss camping at the Laurel Fork Campground Hike to the Laurel Fork Wilderness USAF C-45 Plane Crash

In the heart of the West Virginia's Yew Mountains rests the largest Forest Service wilderness area in the eastern United States, Cranberry Wilderness. The more than 47,000 acre wilderness and designated black bear sanctuary features a beautiful and rugged landscape. Its mountains and valleys are filled with dense Appalachian hardwoods, thick rhododendron groves, and towering stands of red spruce. Its high plateaus are blanketed in sphagnum moss, drawing striking similarities

Enjoy beautiful streams, waterfalls, swimming holes, high mountain meadows, spruce-filled alpine forest, and the wreckage of a 1967 Piper PA-23 plane crash on this 16.5-mile lollipop loop. Great for beginners and seasoned backpackers alike, the Spruce Knob/Seneca Creek Loop is an excellent route for all, and serves up some of the more exceptional backcountry campsites in the region. Trail Info Length 16.5 miles Elevation gain 2,133 feet Route Loop Permit required no Dogs allo

On the morning of November 28, 1995, Colin Campbell, a 31-year-old pilot employed by Casey Industries, embarked on a flight from Braxton County Airport in West Virginia to his home in Lynchburg, Virginia, piloting a twin-engine Cessna 414. The flight departed at 9:30 AM and there was initial radio communication between Campbell and air traffic control. However, just eleven minutes into the flight, at 9:41 AM, the aircraft vanished from radar. In the days that ensued, exhausti

If you've never heard of the North Fork Mountain to Chimney Top hiking trail you're missing out. What might be the best hike in the entire state of West Virginia, North Fork Mountain to Chimney Top is packed with sweeping ridgeline views, a lush subalpine vibe, and some of the best backcountry camping in Appalachia. There's simply no way to oversell this one. It's fantastic if done as a day hike, but even better as a short overnight backpack. Trail Info Length 5.3 miles E

In the tiny community of Seneca Rocks, West Virginia, near the confluence of Seneca Creek and the North Fork River, an imposing crag rises nearly 900' from the forest floor. The towering wall of Tuscarora sandstone is impossible to miss. Beloved by all who call the Mountain State home, Seneca Rocks offers up massive views to those willing to bypass the "Since 1971, 15 people have died at Seneca Rocks from falls" sign and scramble to its summit. It's one of the best sunrise

Resting less than one mile from the banks of the Ohio River, ten miles south of Wheeling in Moundsville, West Virginia, lies the Grave Creek Mound, an ancient earthwork with truly fascinating history. Built by the Adena, an Early Woodland period Native American culture, sometime around 250 BC, the mound measures more than 60-feet in height with a base of roughly 240-feet in diameter making it the largest surviving conical burial mound in the United States. In 1770 an early s