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Seneca Creek Backcountry, West Virginia – Volunteer Vacations 2022

July 17, 2022 - July 23, 2022

Trip Navigation

Seneca Creek Backcountry offers hikers, mountain bikers, and horsemen diverse backcountry to explore. Over 60 miles of trails twist and turn through 19,600 acres mountain vistas, open fields, along gurgling mountain streams and waterfalls, and some of the best camping in West Virginia. Bear Hunter Trail is a steep trail that climbs up to Allegheny Mountain. The trail is well located but needs rebenching and drain installation work in order to keep the trail in the correct alignment and not sloughing-off the hillside. The approaches to a stream crossing could be greatly improved with drain installation to prevent sedimentation of small streams. This trail is an important connector trail in multiple backpacking loops in the premier Seneca Creek Backcountry. This project is part of a greater push to improve the trail systems in this backcountry area that serves as a destination for many backpackers. The 2021 AHS volunteer vacation took place on Judy Spring Trail which is also part of this sought after backpacking loop. American Hiking Society volunteers will return to this area in 2022 to continue improving access to this popular backcountry location!

AHS acknowledges with gratitude that this project takes place on the traditional lands of the Massawomeck peoples past and present. We honor the land itself, the Indigenous communities who have stewarded this land for generations, and those who continue to steward these lands today. AHS invites all volunteers to join us in our commitment to support and amplify the work of Indigenous communities as they work to dismantle the systems of oppression that these communities continue to face today.

Host

Forest Service

Accommodations

Primitive Tent Sites

Hiking/Access

This is a backpacking trip. Volunteers will need to carry their personal gear and a portion of the food/tools/cooking gear to base camp, about 3 miles in.

Project Rating

Difficult

Minimum Volunteer Age

16

Maximum Group Size

10

Area and Attractions

Seneca Creek Backcountry is part of the Seneca Rocks-Spruce Knob National Recreation Area which is the first recreation area managed by the USDA Forest Service. This area is a premier destination for backpackers and day hikers alike because it is home to one the most sought after wild trout streams in West Virginia and the highest point in the state, Spruce Knob. The campsite will be right along Seneca Creek which allows volunteers to observe wild brook trout in their native habitat right from the campfire and for those so inclined the ability to fish right from the dinner table. For those who need more adventure after a day of trail work, they can venture down to the Falls of Seneca Creek, hike up to Spruce Knob, or go in search of an old plane crash along Lumberjack trail. At the end of the week, volunteers will have an opportunity to hike up to the observation tower at Spruce Knob and go down to Seneca Rocks to check out the visitor center and the view of the beautiful rock outcropping. Just a little over an hour drive from the trailhead there are the unique mountain towns of Davis and Thomas which offer breweries, art galleries, and the one of a kind music venue, the Purple Fiddle.

Accommodations Description

Volunteers will camp at a backcountry, primitive campsite. Volunteers will need to carry their personal gear and a portion of the food/tools/cooking gear to base camp, about 3 miles in. There will be water sources all around but will require water filters to safely drink and cook with. The host will provide backcountry cooking stoves and fuel for food preparation as well as a water filter. The group will have to set up a couple bear bag hangs to support the food for the work week. Volunteers need to supply their own tent and personal camping gear including sleeping bag, towels, and personal cup/bowl/mug/eating utensils. Please contact volunteer@americanhiking.org for assistance with gear needs.

Travel

Dulles International Airport in Dulles, VA is the closest major airport. Airport pickup is not provided for this trip. Volunteers are responsible for transportation to and from camp and the work site. Carpooling can be arranged once the project is confirmed.

Location

Monongahela National Forest
6263 Appalachian Highway, Davis, WV 26260 United States + Google Map
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