Backpacking Roaring Plains Wilderness, West Virginia

Welcome back for another backpacking adventure! In this episode we spend three days in the Roaring Plains West Wilderness, Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. Roaring Plains is a lesser known wilderness area. Despite being location next to the super popular Dolly Sods Wilderness, Roaring Plains is rarely trafficked. As a matter of fact, we actually ran into one of the employees responsible for maintaining the wilderness on our hike and she said she has only seen six people on trail the entire season.
I've been to Roaring Plains once before with Sara, but we only trekked the eastern side of the area. This time, we decided to hit up the western side as well. Our ultimate goal was to summit Haystack Knob, which is the most prominent point of elevation up on the plateau. We never did end up accomplishing this goal. Day one was supposed to be around 9.5 miles of hiking, but by the end of the day we ended up putting in over 11 miles. The last 1/4 mile was the worst as we basically climbed up a hill like we were climbing a ladder.
The first day was longer than we expected, and we also hiked through a ton of stinging nettle, thorns and scrub brush. The "trail" on this side of the wilderness is an old railroad grade that nature reclaimed long ago. The hiking was long and hard and we ended up in camp after dark.
We had much higher hopes on day two as we had stumbled across a trail that wasn't on the map. This allowed us to hike along an access road that was much more opened and allowed us to travel more freely. It also opened up some views along the road and boosted our morale after the disappointment of day one. Once we were off the railroad grade and onto an official trail, the experience changed.
The highlight of day two and the entire trip in general was hiking along the Canyon Rim Trail. This trail lives up to its name as it hugs the rim of a 1,000' high canyon for about three miles. Some of the best mountain views are seen from the clearings here and it is an absolute must-see for your West Virginia travels.
We capped off day two by getting into camp about 30 minutes before sunset and managed to find a cozy campsite nestled amongst some spruce trees up on the plateau. Roaring Plains definitely lived up to its name on this occasion and we had sustained 20+ mph winds the entire night and into the morning. Being a wilderness area, Roaring Plains is pitch black at night because there is no light pollution. I spent about 30 minutes playing around with my phone to take some nice pictures of the stars.
Day three was short and sweet as we only hiked about 3-4 miles on the way out. As we descended down from the Roaring Plains we walked past some cool boulder fields, spruce groves and rhododendron thickets. Overall, Roaring Plains is an awesome place to backpack, but I'm unsure of whether or not I'll return to the western half. Maybe one day I'll return taking the easier path and attempt to catch a sunset or sunrise atop Haystack Knob. As always, thank you so much for joining us on our backpacking adventures!
If you want to see all of the gear I brought with me on this trip, check out the link below!
lighterpack.com/r/18cii4
If you want to plan a trip to the Roaring Plains Wilderness, here is my GPX file that includes multiple routes and waypoints for water sources and campsites!
drive.google.com/file/d/1p_Jt...
Join our Facebook group and ask us some questions and tag along on our annual trip!
groups/13624...

[@toninemeth8133]

This was a beautiful video. I loved the crazy shaped trees the sky and clouds were gorgeous and your nighttime video of the sky and clouds was beautiful. A very informative video and honesty makes for a nicer time. So glad your friend got to go with you two the more the merrrier. Tell Sara her poor legs all i could think of was OUCH. Enjoyed this video very much. see you in the next one

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

Could have gone better the first day. Day two and three were great though.

[@forestkoth]

We checked out the Black Water Falls area in May. Love West Virginia.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

My favorite state to backpack within driving distance, thanks for watching!

[@jgeisler]

Such beautiful views there. I don't live far from there in Petersburg.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

Some of the best views in WV are had along the canyon rim. I also appreciate the solitude, I'm hoping it doesn't turn into another Dolly Sods as far as traffic. I'm probably not helping by putting it on KZbin, but we can't keep it for ourselves lol. Thanks for watching!

[@ronosmianski812]

I enjoyed the video, and the views of the mountain were fantastic. I have only day hiked in the Roaring Plains area at the end of a backpacking trip that started and ended at the Laneville Ranger Station on Red Creek. It seemed you had great weather, which always helps. Keep the videos coming!

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

I’ve done about 8-9 trips in the WV mountains now and that three mile stretch on the canyon rim is one of the best spots for views in the state. Appreciate the support as always Ron.

[@jimmyruger7529]

nice video Im a Buckeye, but out of the lower 48 W.V. is my favorite.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

It's my favorite east of the Mississippi so far, it's really hard to beat the west for views. I'm hoping to get to the White Mountains later this year or next, so maybe NH will give WV a run for its money. Thanks for watching!

[@backpackingcapebreton]

Great trip man. A little bit of unexpected adversity and challenge is good for a hiker! Toughens the mental game big time.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

Yeah, it honestly wasn't bad. I just felt bad for Sara and Bryon because I brought them along on the trip. If it was just me, I wouldn't mind at all but I hate feeling like I wasted someone else's time. If we would have known about the access road and approached Haystack Knob from that direction the first day, that would have cut out 50% of the misery lol. If we wouldn't have had dense fog the AM of the second day and actually summitted Haystack to take in the views, that would have helped a lot too. It was just unfortunate we essentially hiked 16 miles just to climb Haystack and never did, but it is what it is. I still had fun and the Canyon Rim Trail is one of the best in all of WV. Thanks for watching!

[@toddossman201]

My son and I hiked about 20 miles of Roaring Plains at the beginning of August before he went back to college. The views and campsites were amazing, but the lack of trail markers or a well-trod trail through some of the brush in some sections was the absolute worst. We bushwhacked through a few sections where we missed the trail as it dove under impassable sections! At times felt as if we were the only ones to have gone through that section in months (or even years!) although we did run into a group going the opposite direction. That said, we are already planning another trip for the next spring. Thanks for your commentary and video.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

I appreciate the lack of blazes, signage and foot traffic. I enjoy the solitude, there aren't too many places you can find that anymore. With that being said, I was frustrated we hiked 16 miles just so we could summit Haystack Knob and take in the views, which we never were able to do. Had I known about the access road leading to Haystack and had we made the summit, I probably wouldn't have been so salty about the first day of the trip lol. Thanks for watching!

[@bryonjanas9008]

Yep that is the “trail”. Travis kept telling we were on the trail and I would respond “that’s what the gps says but Indie I’m telling the temple is the other way!” The views made it worth it and if you want a place with very few people, this is the place. We actually saw a ranger on the trail that told us we just doubled the amount of people she saw on that section this year. From 3 to 6 lol. There may be a reason for that.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

@@bryonjanas9008 Bro you just have to develop your eyes to spot the “trails” it’s a skill 👀

[@JourneyontheTrail]

Great trip video of an area that I know little about…I’ve hiked and backpacked a lot in WV but haven’t made it there. Sounds like definitely going to the west side is the way to go. Awesome shots of the stars on night 2! Thanks for sharing.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

You have that backwards. The west is the bushwhack side with very unclear trails. The eastern half with Canyon Rim Trail is the place to be!

[@JourneyontheTrail]

@@Bacon_N_Backpacking yep definitely said that wrong…thanks for clarifying

[@jameslapossy7805]

Looks like it was an awesome trip

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

Day one was honestly kinda poo poo lol. The views day two made the trip worth it and we managed to snag a pretty cool campsite that night as well. I don't know that I'll ever do the route from day one again, but I'll probably combine the eastern half of RP with Dolly Sods at some point for a nice 3-4 day trip.

[@GarryCollins-ec8yo]

Good video. That is on my list to do so I appreciate the info.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

You should definitely head out there. Plan your trip around the Canyon Rim Trail, that is the best trail in the entire wilderness there. Feel free to download the GPX to see campsite locations, water sources etc. Information on Roaring Plains is pretty scant on the internet. Thanks for watching.

[@bigproblemful]

thought the video turned out great, always appreciate the honesty with regards to how the trip goes, good or bad! that entire area of west virginia is about as good as it gets as far as outdoor activities goes in the eastern half of the country! otter creek and cranberry wilderness definitely seem worth checking out as well, although those areas are much more about enjoying the lush forest and water featurs as opposed to the big views. also got the nrocks via ferrata nearby which looks like an absolute blast! looking forward to the next adventure!

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

The first day was really the downer. I barely recorded anything because of the bushwhacking, route finding and the crawl up the side of the mountain in the dark. Knowing what I know now, there's an access road that would make going up to Haystack WAY more efficient. If I return to the western half of RP I'll be taking that route. I think the big bummer is we went through 16 miles of that and never did see a view atop Haystack. If we wouldn't have had the fog, the view may have redeemed the first day lol. Either way, I still had fun and the eastern half of RP is some of the best hiking in WV. I also have Otter Creek and Cranberry on my list as well. I'll probably go in the fall or spring. Thanks for watching!

[@pilgrimbruce6475]

Its amazing that Roaring Plains has so few hikers while Dolly Sods is so crowded given their proximity. Roaring Plains is definitely a higher level of difficulty. Otter Creek Wilderness is also near there. Have you done any videos there?

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

I think people get thrown off by the planning aspect of Roaring Plains. There isn’t a ton of info online about it, I think that deters a lot of people. Kinda hope it stays that way lol. I haven’t been to Otter Creek or Cranberry Wilderness yet, but they’re on the list. Been to Dolly Sods 2x, Roaring Plains 2x, North Fork 2x and Spruce Knob come. I might check off Otter Creek this fall. All the trips above are on the channel.

[@GarryCollins-ec8yo]

Well, I just got back. That is definitely a type 2 fun kind of trip. Especially with bush wacking in the rain. If it wasn’t for OnX Backcountry and Gaia it would have been much worse. Nice fine though and I appreciate the tip. That’s my kind hike.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

Did you do the route I did?

[@GarryCollins-ec8yo]

Late reply here. I took the South Prong Trail south until it turned north then I went south on some other trail across the pipeline to the canyon ridge where I spent the night. The next morning I headed north to the Roaring Plains Trail to the Boats Nest Trail and to parking.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

@@GarryCollins-ec8yo Gotcha, we’ll at least you got to see the Canyon Rim, that’s the highlight of the trip.

[@DuffDrones]

wow another nice West Virginia video. Thanks. Wish I could camp that far again. I made a comment on your earlier Dolly Sods video. Take a look if you haven't already. Fun video, Thanks

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

I looked through all three Dolly Sods videos I have up and didn’t see a comment from you. Maybe it didn’t post? Anyhow, what’s up?

[@DuffDrones]

I can't seem to add a reply here let me try this

[@DuffDrones]

@@Bacon_N_BackpackingI wanted to say great video of Dolly Sods earlier and this one. I camped there a few weeks back too. Probably close to the same time you guys went. I can’t go 8-16 miles hiking to camp out anymore but I can fly my drone! I have to stay closer to the road up there. Me and my kids also went back in the spring too. In this video you stopped at a beautiful overview that had some nice houses below. That is Timberland and you can rent those houses. I usually stay at the top house almost directly below that viewing area. Not cheap but outstanding view on the deck! Fyi

[@ervinslens]

This is gorgeous work my friend, such a serene atmosphere!

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

Thanks for watching as always!

[@bryonjanas9008]

I might be biased but that video turned out awesome! Well done, considering the trail conditions at times! It does make me want to go back! WV is such an amazing location to backpack and explore. The Outdoor Vitals CS40 was amazing. It really shocked me on how well it did and even when I added all that water it carried extremely well. Well done @OutdoorVitals.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

Thanks for tagging along buddy. Knowing what I know now, I would have skipped the second half of that railroad grade and gone up to Haystack via the access road rather than crawling up that hill in the dark lol. Glad you got to see the canyon rim though, and we ended up with a pretty decent spot up on the plateau night two. I will for sure be doing more in WV next year. I'm thinking about combining the eastern half of Roaring Plains and Dolly Sods into a 3-4 day loop next year. Glad you like the pack.

[@cadleclan9]

One idea for your annual trip...Manistee! I just got back today and, wow. I loved it. I'd love to see the NCT without the leaves in full but the MRT side is amazing. So many great campsites. I went in large part on some advice you gave several months ago and it paid off big time. Thank you.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

I haven't begun planning for the next annual trip lol. I'm currently planning out my fall and winter trips, then next year I'm trying to do the Uinta Highline trail so there's a lot of planning there. I did really like Manistee though so I'll definitely be going back at some point.

[@dewaynehess3314]

Her poor legs. Lot of bush waking lol. How was the ticks?

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

I've done 8-9 trips to the WV mountains at this point and I've actually never seen a tick.

[@dewaynehess3314]

@@Bacon_N_Backpacking good. I was wondering if you ever got any on you. With all the times you had to walk through the thick stuff.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

@@dewaynehess3314 This entire year I've picked up one tick and I think Sara has picked up 1-2. We caught them though, that's the good thing about shorts is that they're easy to see. I look down at my legs every couple minutes while I'm hiking. I've never seen one in WV though, I think it's got something to do with the high winds up in the mountains, not a ton of bugs in general.

[@sarak5033]

I feel the viewer is missing out on the full experience of the first day of this trip... LOL Never again on the shorts out there.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

Shhhhhhh! I couldn't represent the full misery of the first day, nobody wants to watch a negative Nancy lol. But yeah, things could have been done better the first day, not even gonna lie.

[@bryonjanas9008]

I don’t about you but I instantly got very thirsty watching this video. Lol.

[@Bacon_N_Backpacking]

@@bryonjanas9008 That big water source about an hour before camp was definitely a top three filtering experience for me. I can only think of 1-2 other times where I was so happy to filter water lol