Mile: 0 RT 0:00Spruce Knob Lake Campground This is the highest campground in the state of West Virginia. I begin the loop at the campground since I always spend the night there after doing this ride. Since I'm going to end there, I start there. At the entrance to the campground turn left (east) onto Forest Road 1. |
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Mile: 0.6At the intersection go left. This is the end of Forest Road 1. You are now on Forest Road 112 |
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Mile: 1 RT 0:05Forest Road 112 |
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Mile: 1.1Here is the sign for the Allegheny Mountain Trail and Big Run Trail trailhead. It's just off to the left. |
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| Trail Map
All of the trailhead signs have a copy of this trail map. |
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Big Run Trail signs.
Map Link Big Run Trail follows Big run on what's left of a turn-of-the-century logging railroad grade. Big run is a beautiful stream where beaver make their home. The trail climbs gradually up Allegheny Mountain and ends at the parking lot for the Allegheny Mountain Trailhead on Forest road 112. (3 miles) |
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Beginning of the Allegheny Mountain
Trail. It is gated and looks like the occasional vehicle has been through here. This is where we get on the trail. Allegheny Mountain Trail follows the ridge of Allegheny Mountain through hardwood forests and several small clearings. Beautiful views of the Seneca Creek drainage can be seen when the leaves are off the trees. Portions of this trail are occasionally used by authorized vehicles to access wildlife management plots and the gas pipeline crossing the northern end of the trail. For this reason, the trail is very wide for most of its length. (12 miles) |
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Here's a
Ruffed Grouse
that made several
loud charges at me just the other side of the gate. I was wondering about the agressive behaviour until I saw her baby chicks calling from the other side of the trail. I quickly moved on. |
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Mile: 2 RT 0:14Allegheny Mountain Trail |
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Because of the vehicle usage expect
some deep muddy ruts. |
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Mile: 3 RT 0:27Allegheny Mountain Trail |
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Mile: 3.4Tom Lick Trail branches off to right (east). Map Link In the above map the trail is just marked as "jeep trail". Tom Lick Trail connects Allegheny Mountain with Seneca Creek. This is an old road that passes through a large clearing maintained for wildlife habitat. (1 mile) |
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Mile: 3.5North Prong Trail branches off to the left (west). North Prong Trail follows the North Prong of Big Run connecting Allegheny Mountain Trail to Big Run Trail. Open meadows and beaver ponds are found along the way. (3 miles) |
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Mile: 4 RT 0:41Allegheny Mountain Trail |
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Mile: 4Leading Ridge Trail branches off to the left. The damaged trail signs haven't been vandalized, at least not by humans. Bears like to chew on them. Leading Ridge Trail is a wide, grassy trail used periodically as a road to access some wildlife management areas. The trail leaves County Road 29 along Gandy Creek and follows Camp Seven Hollow up to Leading Ridge. Following the ridge to Allegheny Mountain, the trail passes through a few clearings that break up the hardwood forest cover. (5 miles) |
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Mile: 4.5Swallow Rock Trail crosses Allegheny Mountain Trail. Map Link Swallow Rock Trail follows Swallow Rock Run up the west side of Allegheny Mountain and drops down the east side following an unnamed stream on its way to Seneca Creek. To reach the Seneca Creek Trail, hikers must ford the creek. The trail passes through an open forest of maple, birch, beech and cherry trees. (3 miles) |
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Mile: 5 RT 0:54Allegheny Mountain Trail Trail has become single track by this point. |
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Mile: 5.9Bear Hunter Trail drops off steeply to the right (east). Bear Hunter Trail departs from Seneca Creek just downstream from the Judy Springs bridge. This narrow footpath climbs to the top of Allegheny Mountain passing through a forest of cherry, maple and beech trees. (1 mile) |
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Mile: 6 RT 1:04Allegheny Mountain Trail |
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Mile: 7 RT 1:18Allegheny Mountain Trail |
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Tree cover is pretty thick but you can
just get a glimpse of Spruce Mountain off to the east. |
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Mile: 7.5Spring Ridge Trail The trail braches off to the left (west). Leave Allegheny Mountain Trail and get on Spring Ridge Trail. This trail will take us over the mountain. |
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Spring Ridge Trail is more overgrown than
the Allegheny Mountian Trail. |
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Mile: 8 RT 1:29Spring Ridge Trail |
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Mile: 8.7You can tell that we have crossed over Allegheny Mountain because through the trees Little Middle Mountain is now visible to the west. |
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You will come across several of these
clearings on the mountain. They are maintained for the wildlife. The growth in this one was taller than my bike. You can just make out the trail on the left of this picture as it passes between the two trees. |
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Mile: 9 RT 1:40Spring Ridge Trail |
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Mile: 9.7Here begins a quarter mile long stretch where both sides of the trail are lined with stinging nettles. Some of these plants are at least 3 foot tall. It won't kill you but it is a pain. |
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Mile: 10 RT 1:54Spring Ridge Trail |
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Mile: 10.7The end of the trail is just ahead. |
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The Spring Ridge Trailhead on Whitmer
Road/County Road 29. |
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Whitmer Road
Looking both ways on Whitmer Road. First north then south. We turn left from the trailhead and go south on the road. |
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You can see Gandy Creek next to Whitmer
road. This road parallels the creek till it's end. |
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Mile: 11 RT 2:01Whitmer Road |
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Mile: 11.1The last house on the road. After this house any structure you see will be of weekend/hunting shack/trailer variety. |
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Mile: 12 RT 2:09Whitmer Road |
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Mile: 12Beginning of the Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping Area. It runs for 5.5 miles along this stretch of road. Except for one pit toilet there are no facilities. |
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Some sites are posted as Day Use
only. |
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Mile: 12.9Swallow Rock Trail trailhead |
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Mile: 12.9Bridge over Gandy Creek. The creek will now be on our left side. |
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| Spruce Knob Lake Campground-Sink Of Gandy Loop |
