Loading...

Distance:
7.5 Miles / 12.1 km
Type:
Out-and-Back
Difficulty:
Moderate
Time to Hike:
3 hours, ~45 minutes
Features:
Surface Type:
Dirt
Park:
Monongahela National Forest
Town:
Laneville, West Virginia
Directions:
38.972551, -79.398246
Added:
April 15, 2017
Updated:
April 06, 2022

The Red Creek Trail at Dolly Sods Wilderness in Laneville, West Virginia is a moderate 7.5 mile out-and-back trail that runs from the southern part of Dolly Sods up to the central area to the Blackbird Knob Trail (TR-511). Please note, the GPS data provided for this trail is not complete; we were not able to cross Red Creek to continue any more north than about 3.8 miles one-way, hence the 7.5 miles out-and-back. If you plan to hike the entire trail, you also need to plan to cross Red Creek - getting you and likely your gear wet. Red Creek is not very deep, but it varies depending on the time of year.

The trail starts on the southwestern corner of Dolly Sods and traverses the Red Creek. There are plenty of campsites along the way, starting fairly close to the trailhead. If you're looking for a short hike and a nice quiet creek-side campsite, this trail may be for you. The hike starts out flat for the first mile or so, but then quickly climbs the side of the nearest hill and does not flatten out until you get closer to the Red Creek crossing.

Waterfalls: Within the first 4 miles, hiking north, you'll find a couple of large waterfalls and a few smaller waterfalls along the way.

WWII Ammunition: Dolly Sods was used for bombing training back during WWII and there are still live rounds scattered throughout the wilderness. Dolly Sods is also a very popular backpacking spot and has been combed through by many people, so you're unlikely to find any ammunition rounds, but if you find any, take note of where it was - DO NOT TOUCH IT - and call authorities when you can.

Blazes: The trail is not blazed and can be slightly confusing. Follow stone cairns and the sign posts when available.

No biking allowed.

Dolly Sods trail map PDF

Explore 31 trails near Laneville, WV
  1. Parking

    38.972551, -79.398246
  2. Main Trailhead

    38.972907, -79.397294
  3. Waterfall

    38.984695, -79.358869
    Waterfall
  4. Waterfall

    38.981553, -79.365542
    Waterfall
  5. Campsite

    38.994596, -79.355591
    Campsite
Explore other trail routes for this hike, added by the MyHikes Community via Trip Reports.
No community routes found. To add your own route as a Community Route for this Trail guide, please leave a Trip Report with a GPX file on this Trail.

Hazards

Ticks - Lyme Disease More Info (CDC)

Season

Spring
Loading...
Loading...
494 '

Total Change
1,163 '

Ascent
1,163 '

Descent

Photo Albums

2 Trip Reports

No Star-Ratings
Write-up by:
Admin user profile picture
7.5 miles / 12.1 km
Trail added
April 15, 2017
Hiked on
April 15, 2017
Updated on
April 06, 2022
7.6 miles / 12.2 km
April 15, 2017
Hiking

Weather Forecast

In Laneville, WV

Explore Hiking Trails

New Hikes

Kanakadea Nature Loop
0.4 Miles
0.6 km
Easy
Loop
Raven Rocks via Appalachian Trail
5.1 Miles
8.2 km
Strenuous
Out-and-Back
Double Run to Canyon Vista Loop
3.7 Miles
6 km
Moderate
Loop
Cathedral Pines Trail
0.1 Miles
0.2 km
Easy
Out-and-Back

Before you leave...

MyHikes is an indie web platform aimed to make exploring public trails easier for everyone. The site has no investors and is owned and operated by one person, Dave Miller (Founder & Admin). As the Founder, main contributor, and doer-of-all-things for MyHikes, I share my trips with over-detailed write-ups for fun on a volunteer basis and I believe that public trail information should be available to everyone.

It takes a lot of time 🕦, money 💰, and effort (including espresso shots ☕) to run MyHikes, including hiking , mapping , writing , and publishing new trails with high-quality content... along with building new features, moderating, site maintainance, and app development for iOS and Android . I simply ask that if you find MyHikes' trail guides helpful to please consider becoming a Supporter to help keep the site, iOS, and Android apps available to everyone.

Supporters unlock website and in-app perks with a one-time payment of $25 (you renew) 😎👍. Or you can simply make a Donation of your choice without a MyHikes user account. Otherwise, telling your friends about MyHikes is the next-best thing - both quick and free 🎉

Thanks for visiting MyHikes and have a great hike!️

Admin user profile picture

Dave Miller
MyHikes Founder & Admin