Seneca Rocks in West Virginia is one of West Virginia’s best-known landmarks. This natural formation of Tuscarora Sandstone rises over 900 feet above the North Fork of the South Branch. Seneca Rocks is a popular rock climbing location and a great place to add to your bucket list this summer!
This past week, my family and I did something that we have been aching to do again since our firstborn was just a baby -we decided to hike to the top of Seneca Rocks with the whole family. 13 years ago, Michael and I climbed to the top of the mountain with our oldest in our arms.
Michael carrying our firstborn up Seneca Rocks 13 years agoIt was one of those things that we did spur of the moment, and I would not recommend climbing to the top of Seneca Rocks without some preparation. We carried our baby son up to the top of Seneca Rocks and by the time we came down from the mountain, Michael’s sugar had dropped and we almost found ourselves in a very stupid (&preventable) situation.
It’s a memory we’ve laughed about for years, but we’ve always said we would go back. And, now that the kids are older, we decided it would be the perfect destination to go to on our day off.
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Seneca Rocks is just under a 2-hour drive from our hometown in Maryland and it’s absolutely in the middle of nowhere. You won’t find a Walmart nearby and, surprisingly, you won’t even find a Dollar General. You won’t even have cellphone service! It’s a location that’s so off the grid, that you better make sure you prepare properly before heading there.
Since the only store nearby Seneca Rocks is a small general store across the street, you will probably want to make sure to pack a lunch and some drinks for your adventure. We packed a small picnic lunch and ate before we started the hike up the mountain. We also packed 2 cooler backpacks and filled them with drinks to carry up the mountain. When it was finally time to start the 1.3-mile hike up the 900-foot mountain, we were ready and extremely excited to start the trek.
Our trek up Seneca Rocks
Climbing Seneca Rocks is not for the faint of heart -it’s a strenuous climb with a steady incline. The trail to Seneca Rocks is considered a moderately challenging route, so it’s not great for everyone. But if you really want to see the overlook, you can opt to take a horseback ride up to the top of the mountain. This is a great alternative for older adults and those with disabilities that prohibit them from walking up the mountain.
And, speaking of horses, there is a separate horse trail that runs through the mountain. Should you decide to take a shortcut up the mountain, as we did, you may want to be careful because you could end up on a horse trail. It may not sound bad, but trust me you will find yourself in a really crappy situation, quite literally.
Our entire hike up Seneca felt like it took forever but in reality, it only took us around an hour to complete. We could have finished faster but with hydration breaks and my obsession with photos and videos, we made a lot of stops and killed a lot of time.
When we finally did make it to the top of the mountain – it was so worth it! The view from the top was so beautiful. There was even a nice little overlook with benches to sit and enjoy the view and I honestly couldn’t help but wonder how beautiful it would be to watch a sunset from there. Off to the side of the overlook, you can go to the rocky formation of the mountain, but there is a sign discouraging visitors from doing that, and to be honest, the risk just isn’t worth it. The view is the same as the one you get at the overlook, so really, what’s the point?
Walking down Seneca Rocks was a lot easier and faster than walking up. We completed the trek down in less than 30 minutes. By the time we were coming down, we just wanted to be done with the mountain and visit some of the nearby landmarks like; Dolly Sods, Smoke Hole, Spruce Knob, and Blackwater Falls.
All in all, our time at Seneca Rocks in West Virginia was one of our favorite adventures! I cannot recommend adding this mountain to your family’s bucket list enough. In fact, if you have the time and the money, I suggest staying nearby – for a day or two – and taking advantage of all the state parks nearby. They are all so gorgeous and have so much to offer in terms of nature.
Last Updated on 3 years ago by Crystal Carder