Hiking in Dolly Sods
Dolly Sods, West Virginia
As part of our summer adventure series, we wanted to highlight areas around West Virginia that our team loves to visit. Located just 2 hours away from where Lizard Tail belts are made, Dolly Sods offers an easy day trip with some stunning views. This area of West Virginia offers 47 miles of trails and has a unique ecosystem similar to the Canadian wilderness (minus maple syrup everywhere 🥲). If you are able to visit, be careful frolicking too hard through the fields since this area was used in 1943 for WW2 training practice. In 1997 a crew came through and surveyed the land for leftover mortar shells. They found 15, some of which were still live! No need to worry too much, we have been several times and have never seen one (but you're telling me there is a chance?)
Our Favorite Trails
When we are planning a day trip to Dolly Sods, we like to leave around 8 AM to arrive around 11:30 ( more to follow on the cool town we stop in to explore on the way). Once you make it to the top of Dolly Sods by car, we park on the top parking lot to take a quick walk through the blueberry and huckleberry bushes to Bear Rock. Its only a .75 loop to the scenic overlook and you can fuel up on free fresh fruit to enjoy with the view. So loosen up your Lizard Tail and stuff some blueberries in your pockets and get ready to enjoy a day of adventure.
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Black Bird Knob Trail: This moderate, 4.7 mile hike is a good introduction to Dolly Sods and offers great views.
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Red Creek Trail: This trail is around 12 miles there and back so we recommend doing part of it for a day hike. The creek is beautiful!
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Beaver Dam Trail: This trail is 1.4 miles and is perfect for bird watching !
For a more detailed description of trails at Dolly Sods , here is a link that can help:
https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/west-virginia/dolly-sods-wilderness
What to pack
Dolly Sods weather can be unpredictable at times so you will want to pack with that in mind. We recommend hiking boots, rain jackets, lots of water, snacks (plus the blueberries in your pocket from Bear Rocks) warm layers, and most importantly your Lizard Tail belt!! We do NOT recommend hiking without it. Got to stay comfortable and keep those pants up!
If you visit Dolly Sods, make sure to send us a photo of your adventure wearing your Lizard Tail belt. Happy Hiking !