Don’t let names fool you. Nothing is flat about the large region of Monongahela National Forest (MNF) just south of Dolly Sods labeled on maps as "Red Creek Plains," "Flatrock Plains" and "Roaring Plains." If you look at a relief map of the entire West Virginia Highlands from a distance and point to what appears to be the most rugged topography of the entire region, you will probably discover you are pointing to the "Plains."

Visits to the 18 square miles of the "Plains" are usually unforgettable experiences. Vegetation is reminiscent of eastern Canada due to the high elevation (up to 4770 ft. on Mt. Porte Crayon), severe climate and lower temperatures (about 10+ degrees lower than surrounding urban areas). Dense red spruce forests are punctuated by rhododendron thickets, spectacular views, blueberry heath speckled with azaleas, laurel and scattered red spruce, plus fascinating high-elevation bogs and clear streams. Azaleas brighten up the area from late May into mid-June. Near their peak, azalea fragrance is so strong that many parts of the Plains give the feeling of being in a heavily perfumed room. Mountain laurel add lots of color in the middle few weeks in June. Pink ladyslipper orchids are frequently seen when azaleas bloom. Rhododendron bloom in mid-July. Blueberries are ripe from mid-July through mid-September.

The Plains are atop and just west of Allegheny Front, backbone ridge of the Appalachians, and the eastern continental divide in this part of the country. Clouds, rising to get over Allegheny Front, are cooled, causing precipitation to be well above average, and vegetation to be lush and dense. Areas east of the plains (e.g. North Fork Mountain) are drier than areas to the west due to the effect of Allegheny Front on weather patterns. You can get a dramatic feel for the effect of Allegheny Front on climate by climbing east on a pipeline swath to the top of Allegheny Front on Roaring Plains. Within a quarter-mile from the top you go from dense, moist red spruce forest to stunted, scattered shrubs in a grass/blueberry heath on the broad ridgetop where the climate is severest. A short distance down the east side is a drier climate with open hardwoods sheltered by the ridgetop.

Broad views and scenery in this area rival anything else the MNF has to offer. One portion of the rim of Allegheny Front in Roaring Plains has a huge, spectacular, fascinating meadow. From a campsite right on the rim in this meadow, one can see nearly the entire 24-mile length of North Fork Mountain, Seneca Rocks, both sets of Fore Knobs, Germany Valley, Smith Mountain and an endless series of ridges to the east, including the Shenandoah Mountains on a clear day (30 air-miles away). About 3000 vertical feet below you are glimpses of the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River. It is doubtful that there are many, if any, other 3000-foot views anywhere in the West Virginia Highlands. This rim campsite is probably the most spectacular campsite on the MNF.

From a bald high-point on Allegheny Front near the junction of Roaring Plains Trail and Flatrock Run Trail is a view looking down onto the southern half of Dolly Sods Wilderness, including Cabin Mountain on its west rim, Allegheny Front on its east rim, plus parts of Canaan Valley and the Valley of the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River -- all in one breath-taking panorama. Even the same basic view from Boar’s Nest Trail much lower in elevation is spectacular. Nearby, Flatrock Run Trail begins its steep 2200-foot drop to Laneville. No other trail on the MNF offers such an extreme elevation change.

If you are thinking of views from nearby Mt. Porte Crayon, forget it. Most people fail to make the ascent, and those who succeed find a dark spruce forest, a USGS survey marker, faint remains of an old wood structure and little else. However, not far away, along Roaring Plains Trail, is a popular campsite on the north rim of Long Run with spectacular views of this deep, steep-walled, densely forested valley and of Haystack Knob. At night this campsite is often visited by the "roaring winds" after which Roaring Plains was named. The rim of Long Run is also right on the eastern continental divide and should be considered part of Allegheny Front. There are countless other views from the Plains. Many are visible from the pipeline swath bisecting the area. As the spruce forest grows taller, some of these views are shrinking even as the area grows more scenic.

Those of us who have visited the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire see a lot of similarities with the Plains. The "Whites" have mainly black spruce and the Plains mostly red spruce. But bird life is similar. In both places, birds perch at the tops of spruce and sing long, shrill, melodious songs -- to be answered by birds on distant spruce. This probably represents an adaptation to the sound-deadening properties of spruce forests which force birds to develop good strong, shrill voices to communicate. In the "Whites," hiking and backpacking are big business with lodges and shuttle services everywhere. This probably reflects the large amount of land above tree-line -- something the Plains have little or none of.

Spruce are being killed throughout the eastern US due, most likely, to air-pollution (acid rain?). Fortunately, so far, only spruce above 5000 feet are being killed, and the Plains have nothing over 4770 feet. If air pollution gets worse however, problems could develop.

There are also rumors of a ski resort. The potential location is easy to spot -- Flatrock Run with its spectacular scenery (as those who have driven state route 45 can attest), north-facing slopes, a high top (4600 feet) and a long (2,200-vertical-foot) drop. Add another 170 feet to the maximum elevation and drop if Mt. Porte Crayon is included. Such a resort could outclass anything else in the middle-Atlantic states, so the USFS could encounter heavy pressure to sell or lease the land. We should keep eyes and ears alert. The USFS would need lots of help in resisting these pressures. Seeing Laneville being turned into another Aspen is a sickening thought indeed.

A few decades ago, when we were working on Wilderness status for Dolly Sods, people in Potomac Ranger District of the USFS speculated that ultimately much of the District would become a national park. They are probably right. But if that happens, the Plains would become one of the crown jewels of the park and lose a lot of its wildness and related qualities. On balance, a national park could be a linchpin to a lot of crucial and otherwise impossible land protection in West Virginia. But there would probably be cable cars from Seneca Rocks area to the tops of North Fork Mountain and Roaring Plains and related facilities to accommodate the extra millions.