Camping at Spruce Knob- Seneca Rocks, West Virginia
This past weekend we headed out to camp at the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area in the Monongahela National Forest. I had read about this area here and here, so it was at the top of my summer camping list! There is SO much to do there; hiking, backpacking, camping, climbing…it’s also much less crowded than the places we usually go to (Shenandoah).
Penny was not going to miss this trip; she packed herself into the truck! 🙂
We camped at Seneca Shadows campground, which is right next to Seneca Rocks. We really enjoyed the campground and location! We camped with Jon’s brother, Justin, and his girlfriend Britney. We had such a great weekend together! There was no cell service at the campsite, so we really enjoyed relaxing and each other’s company (which is the best).
It was raining when we arrived Friday night, so we set up camp and ate dinner but I didn’t take any pictures (fail). Saturday morning the weather cleared up and the “BioLite Brothers” made us some delicious breakfast burritos (or in Justin’s case, a breakfast quesadilla 😉 ) and coffee.
After breakfast, we headed to the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center to plan our day. We decided to go to North Fork Mountain for an out and back hike along the ridge (trail 501). We decided to park and hike 1.8 miles up to the ridge from the 507 trail head. This hike was mostly uphill/downhill and was moderate. Much of trail 507 was overgrown, so we hiked through grass or thick brush most of the way.
Once we got to the 501 trail, we only hiked along the ridge for a few minutes because a rain shower rolled in. Luckily, we got to experience this, breathtaking view before the rain began.
Penny (and the rest of us) were pretty tired after the hike, so we spent the afternoon relaxing around our campsite. The “BioLite Brothers” made us some delicious tacos for dinner and the ladies made s’mores for dessert. It was a great, relaxing day in beautiful Monongahela National Forest. That’s what camping is all about!
The next morning, we cooked breakfast, packed up camp and headed to the highest point in WV, Spruce Knob. Spruce Knob is a must-see view! It is easily accessible (drive to the trial head off of Forest Road 104, park and walk .2 (flat) miles to the ranger tower and the view was incredible! After taking in the view and a picnic lunch, we all hit the road to head home.
It was such a fun camping weekend! We can’t wait to get back to the Monongahela National Forest to explore more (Dolly Sods, backpack around Spruce Knob/Seneca Creek); there’s so much to do in the area! If you are not a camper, look into these cabins to stay on Spruce Mountain or these, which are closer to Dolly Sods and North Fork Mountain. They looked so cute and would be a great alternative to camping.
I made my first movie of our camping weekend using the Google Photos App (which I’m obsessed with); check it out below!
Happy Trails,
K, J and P