Dolly Sods, Bear Rocks

Dolly Sods is a plateau in West Virginia, regarded as the highest plateau east of the Mississippi. The wilderness covers about 7,200 hectares (17,776 acres) between roughly 760 and 1,430 m (2,500 to 4,700 feet) in elevation. The name goes back to Johann Dahle, a Hessian soldier who settled in the region in the 1780s; locals turned "Dahle" into "Dolly," and "sods" are what people here call open mountaintop meadows. The plateau has bogs, heath barrens and wind-sculpted red spruce. Bear Rocks Preserve on the eastern edge belongs to The Nature Conservancy, lies at about 1,220 m (3,999 feet), and on clear days offers views of up to about 55 km (35 miles) to the east. In fall, migrating raptors can be seen there.

The climate is harsh, with around 380 cm (150 inches) of snow a year. Forest Road 75 is usually closed from January 1 to about April 15; closure from January 4 has been announced for 2027 (as of October 2026). Forest Road 19 has been closed for repairs since June 2026; check the current status. There are about 76 km (47 miles) of hiking trails. A 1997 cleanup found 14 live mortar shells, so stay on the trails.