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Otter Creek Wilderness
Otter Creek Wilderness is located on the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District of the Monongahela National Forest in Tucker and Randolph Counties, West Virginia.
The southernmost trailheads are accessed by taking US 33 east of Elkins, WV to Forest Road 91, at the top of Shavers Mountain. Shavers Mountain trailhead leaves from the parking lot and CCC memorial at the intersection of US 33 and FR 91. Or follow FR 91 to a triangle-shaped intersection with FR 303. Take the right side of the triangle on proceed on FR 303 to the Condon Run trailhead, which accesses Otter Creek and Hedrick Camp trails.
Mylius trailhead is accessed by continuing east on US 33 from Shavers Mountain. Take WV 12 north at the Alpine Lodge. Just before crossing the gray bridge over the Glady Fork River, FR 162 intersects WV 12 as an acute left turn. Take this gravel road 0.2 miles to the Mylius trailhead on the left.
The northern trailheads are accessed via the Fernow Experimental Forest. Take US 219 into Parsons. A sign across from Fox's Pizza Den points to Otter Creek; turn south there, but after 70 feet, turn left and follow this road though town, past a cemetery, and onto a chip-sealed road. At the intersection with 2 gravel roads, turn right. You should see a sign for the Experimental Forest after you round a curve. Follow this road and take the left fork when it splits above the reservoir. A parking lot with a trailhead sign in a sharp curve is Big Springs Gap trailhead. Turkey Run trailhead is a little further up the road. Caution is needed on these gravel roads, since they are narrow, prone to rockslides in areas, and vehicle traffic is often heavy. This is a favorite hunting and scenic driving area for locals, and log trucks from the Experimental Forest are common.
Dry Fork trailhead is accessed by taking WV 72 south of Parsons, WV and going through the towns of Hambleton and Hendricks. The trailhead is located approximately 2 miles south of Hendricks on the right side of the road. Hike past the trailhead sign and down the access road to the swinging bridge. Crossing the bridge and turning right will put you on Otter Creek trail.
Characteristics:
Otter Creek Wilderness lies in a bowl formed by Shavers Mountain and McGowan Mountain. Most of the streams flow into Otter Creek and then to the Dry Fork River. These streams can flash flood during periods of high rain, and can leave visitors stranded. Vegetation consists of second-growth timber, rhododendron, and a variety of mosses and lichens. Elevations range from 1800 feet at the mouth of Otter Creek to 3900 feet on McGowan Mountain. There are few open vistas in Otter Creek Wilderness, and rarely are they along trails. Finding them on your own lends a sense of discovery. Because the area is managed for natural conditions, vistas will be allowed to grow closed by vegetation and visitors are asked not to try to keep them open.
History:
The Otter Creek Boom and Lumber Company logged this area from 1897 to 1914. Several areas were also homesteaded either prior to or during this time. The majority of the Otter Creek area was acquired by the U.S. government in 1917. For the most part, the trees came back naturally, with only some Norway spruce planted on top of Shavers Mountain in the 1920's. The area was hunted but otherwise virtually ignored until after World War II, when it came to be viewed primarily as a recreation area. Dirt bikes often made the trip from the mouth of Otter Creek up the length of the drainage as a scenic shortcut to get to Elkins. In the 1960's, shelters were built at the junction of Otter Creek and Moore Run trails and not far from the intersection of Green Mountain and Possession Camp trails. These shelters have been removed. More logging was done from 1968 to 1972 in areas near Turkey Run, Condon Run, and north of Otter Creek near Big Springs Gap as the second-growth timber started to reach merchantable size. About this time, a push began to get the area designated as a wilderness. Recreational users at the time were tired of the noise and physical impact of the dirt bikes and did not want any logging done in the area. Hunters joined the push because the remoteness of the area made it good black bear habitat, and the population of this species in West Virginia was perceived to be declining. The area was designated as wilderness by the Eastern Wilderness Act, passed by Congress in 1975. At that time, the US government purchased the last remaining parcel of land in private ownership within the Wilderness boundary from Dr. Herbert C. Haynes.
Otter Creek Wilderness is 20,000 acres in size. Trails are neither signed nor blazed, although rock cairns are occasionally provided in areas that may appear confusing. Deadfall trees are not cut out of the trails unless going around them will cause unacceptable environmental impacts. No bridges are provided at creek crossings. In some areas, exposed culverts that present a hazard either to public safety or environmental conditions have been or will be removed. Please, don't disturb or remove the artifacts of previous occupation. Those spikes, chunks of metal, old glass, etc. are part of our heritage. They are our connection to the past; where we came from, who we were and are, and a mark of the effort it took to settle a country. Leave them for others to enjoy.
Wildlife:
Wildlife in the area includes black bear, whitetail deer, wild turkey, grouse, snowshoe hare, cottontail rabbit, and a variety of squirrels. There are many species of birds, and several of reptiles including the poisonous timber rattlesnake. Otter Creek is also home to a small population of brook trout and several amphibians such as salamanders. Catch and release fishing is recommended.
The limestone drum facility at the headwaters of Otter Creek raises the pH of the water so that brook trout have a better chance of survival in the naturally acidic water. This drum, built in the early 1970Phone: 304)-478-3251 Address: 1035 Randolph Ave. City: Potomac Highlands~ State: WV Zip: 26241 Region: Potomac Highlands Url: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf/sp/ottercreek.html Canaan Valley - Albright - Davis - - Mathias - Keyser - Thomas - Berkeley Springs - Potomac Highlands~ - Fayetteville - Harpers Ferry - West Virginia Regions - Roanoke - Moorefield - Beckley - Eastern Panhandle~ - Hico - Cass - Petersburg - Snowshoe - Elkins - Hatfield-McCoyMountains~ - Ansted - Franklin - Philippi - Fairmont - Buckhannon - NewRiverGreenbriarValley~ |
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