The Roaring Plains consists of over 12,000 acres of land within the Monongahela National Forest in eastern West Virginia. Now split into two sections, the 6,792 acre western portion has been designated a wilderness by the National Park Service while the eastern section remains backcountry. This area is primarily an elevated plateau leading the the consistent winds for which it is named. The vegetation is a diverse mixture of hardwoods and red spruce with an understory of bogs, grassy meadows, rhododendron, and mountain laurel.
Access
Access to the Roaring Plains is via Forest Road 19. There are multiple trailheads along FR 19, however, my preferred access point is the eastern-most South Prong Trail. This trail traverses the Red Creek Plains, avoiding a long and arduous climb up to the plateau on which most of this area sits. As this is a wilderness area, there are some restrictions to access that must be observed.
Usage Restrictions
- Groups over 10 persons are prohibited in Wilderness.
- Mountain bikes and mechanical devices such as carts are not allowed on Wilderness trails.
- Removal of plants, stone or moss is prohibited.
- Pets must be under your control at all times.
- Motor vehicles are restricted to roads and parking areas.
- Camp at least 200 feet from all roads, streams and trails. Follow Leave No Trace ethics.
Safety
The Roaring Plains is an undeveloped, difficult to access area. It is easy to become lost (trust me), there is limited to no cell reception, and medical evacuations would be extremely difficult from much of the area. Many of the trails cross immense boulder fields which feature loose rocks waiting to wrong-foot and potentially injure hikers. These boulder fields also make route finding difficult, even more so due to the overuse of cairn trail markers. Unfortunately, it seems like many people have taken it on themselves to mark trails with these small rock towers. While these cairns are helpful at times they can lead you astray onto trails that dead end in the woods. If you explore a bit too far from the last trail marker on one of these trails you can wind up lost. I have also encountered many rattle snakes in this area sunning themselves on the trail. Be sure to follow wilderness safety best practices:
- Don’t go alone and always use the buddy system.
- Tell someone where you are going to be and when you’ll be back.
- Carry first aid supplies and know how to use them.
- Be prepared for the weather. Weather conditions in the Roaring Plains can change unexpectedly and, due to it’s elevation, it can be much colder than the surrounding areas.
- Treat water before drinking.
Tips for the Roaring Plains
Blueberries
Check out this area in July or early August and you are likely to come across tons of wild blueberries! On some sections of trail I have had trouble making any progress because I couldn’t walk more than a few feet without being tempted by another laden bush.
Wear Long Pants
The Roaring Plains Wilderness is full of scrubby bushes and many trails do not see a lot of traffic. After a few miles of these scrubby bushes rubbing against your bare skin you will start to lose your mind. Trust me.
Red Water
When you fill your first bottle from the creek here you will see why then headwaters go on to feed Red Creek and the Blackwater River. Tannins from the numerous spruce trees give the water a red color. Tannins are not dangerous to human health but I would recommend treating all of your water anyway. You never know who might have pooped upstream.
Trail Conditions
Much of this area is a high plateau and relatively flat. This means when it rains the lowest place for the water to collect is the trail. A fair number of the trails have a tendency to become creeks during a rain. Bring many extra socks!