Big Stonecoal Trail:
West Virginia
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Description:
Red Creek Trail and Big Stonecoal Trail
In the Dolly Sods Wilderness area of West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest you can experience the sweeping vistas, spruce and aspen groves, beautiful meadows, beaver dams, and rolling creeks of the Dolly Sods Wilderness.
One of the most heavily visited trail systems in Dolly Sods Wilderness is the Red Creek trail, which intersects with the Big Stonecoal, Breathed Mountain, and Rocky Point trails to offer you several loop options for multi-day hikes of varying levels of difficulty. These heavily visited trail loops all start out at the Red Creek Trail at Laneville Cabin, right off of Forest Road 19.
Although one could hike any of these moderately difficult trail loops in a single day, it is recommended to take your time and camp overnight at one of the dozens of campsites along the trails and make this a fantastic, rustic, multi-day hiking experience.
The following are the three loop options:
Loop #1
From the Laneville Cabin, the Red Creek Trail winds through lush, green meadows and forests, and meanders along the channel of the Red Creek. This part of the trail and segments of the Big Stonecoal Trail were built on old logging railroads servicing the once-bustling timber industry in this area. You will have one major stream crossing at this point. Be aware: stream crossings can be dangerous, especially after periods of severe rains and snowmelts.
After crossing this difficult channel, the trail meets up with the Little Stonecoal Trail. To take the first loop, it is at this junction where you bare right to stay on the old railroad grade along the Red Creek. Once you arrive at a wide area of the grade, you have the option to bare a sharp left onto the aptly named Rocky Point Trail. Here you can take in some lovely views of the canyon. After traveling approximately two miles along the Rocky Point Trail you will meet up with the Big Stonecoal Trail. Take a sharp left and continue downhill along the Big Stonecoal Trail until it meets up with the Red Creek again. After crossing the creek a second time you will once again join up with the Red Creek Trail as you make your way back to Laneville Cabin.
Loop #2
As a second option, and a good choice for a multi-day hike, you can continue hiking uphill for approximately four miles along the Red Creek Trail after passing the Rocky Point Trail junction. Here you'll find sub-alpine terrain and areas covered in moss, and all throughout the Monongahela National Forest there is the possibility of spotting typically recluse wildlife such as black bears, coyotes and grouse. When the trail meets up with Breathed Mountain Trail junction, take a left. This trail will lead you right up to the Big Stonecoal Trail at old Forest Road 80 where you will take another left back downhill towards the Red Creek crossing, and then back down to the Red Creek Trail to Laneville Cabin just as in the previous trail loop.
Loop #3
As a third option, you can hike the entire six miles of the impressive Red Creek Trail right up to Blackbird Knob Trail. You will take a left onto Blackbird Knob Trail going west and find the trail meandering through a plateau of spruce forest and rocky terrain. Once again, you will find the trail crossing Red Creek and its tributaries a number of times, so be careful if you are hiking this trail after periods of heavy rain as these crossings can be treacherous. Eventually, you will reach the Breathed Mountain Trail junction at old Forest Road 80 where you will return along the Big Stonecoal Trail, where gorgeous waterfalls await just before you pass the Rocky Point Trail junction. From here, head back towards the Red Creek Trail just as in the previous loops.
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Parking & Trail Access:
Driving from the Canaan Valley, follow Route 32 south to Laneville Road (Route 45). Turn left and follow Laneville Road (Route 45), which turns into Forest Route 19, for 10 miles to the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. Just after crossing the bridge and entering the Scenic Area, you will notice plenty of parking available on the left.
From Petersburg, take WV 28/55 south. After you pass Smoke Hole Caverns, turn left onto State Road 4. Take State Road 4 up the hill and turn unto Forest Road 19. Stay on Forest Road 19 until you reach the Red Creek Campground on your right.
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