Allen DeHart's Selections of Outstanding Hiking Trails in the Mon Forest

Here’s a Mon-Athon 2000 tip for planning your hiking outings in the Mon National Forest this year! Allen de Hart, co-author with Bruce Sundquist of the WVHC’s Hiking Guide to the Monongahela National Forest, has listed, just for us, some of his favorite hiking trails, and the reasons he finds these trails outstanding. Try some of these out, and see if you agree with Allen’s assessment -- and don't forget to report on your hike, to Mon-Athon 2000!

«Allegheny Trail (length and farthest through the MNF);

«Plantation Trail(outstanding spruce forest);

«Canyon Rim Trail (outstanding scenery);

«Blackwater Canyon Railroad Grade Trail (history, scenic beauty flora and fauna);

«Otter Creek Trail (wilderness, blue crayfish, fishing, camping);

«Shaver's Mountain Trail (remoteness, hardwood forests);

«South Haddix Trail (remote, black bears);

«Cranberry Glades Botanical Trail (short but exceptionally special for bog observation);

«Fork Mountain Trail (long and full of wildlife);

«Laurel River Trail (long near streams, wilderness, wildlife);

«East Fork Trail (great for botanical study);

«West Fork Trail (a must for long old railroad hiking space, plenty of wildlife);

«Strip Mine Trail (not so much for internal scenery, but the access areas are lessons in strip mining);

«Hosterman Trail (swinging bridge and scenic old road, particularly in autumn);

«Tea Creek Trail (a combination of history, streams and scenic value);

«North Fork Mountain Trail (although parts are on private property, the scenic value is astonishing);

«Seneca Rocks Hiking Trail (probably among the most five highly used on the Mon);

«Seneca Creek Trail (waterfalls, spring, history);

«High Meadows Trail (isolated, but with unforgettable views of Seneca Valley during the autumn colors the first two weeks of October); «Whispering Spruce Trail (short but with panoramic views ... probably in the high five most visited on the Mon);

«Red Creek Trail (now overused, once among my favorites);

«Flatrock Run Trail and Roaring Plains Trail (a combination for interest in geology and botany . . . and the highest elevation climb likely on the Mon);

«Lake Sherwood Trail (frequently used and the longest lake trail on the Mon).