This is an enjoyable ride into the Monongahela National Forest that covers a massive area of nearly 1 million acres that is bursting with breathtaking scenery and adventurous recreation. This wooded wonderland expands across the north-central highlands of West Virginia and is complete with 23 campgrounds, over 800 miles of trails and countless bodies of water in between. The forest is home to some 230 known species of birds, white-tailed deer, black bears, bobcats and coyotes to name but a few.
You will enter the Monongahela National Forest after crossing the Gauley River and then following the Williams River upstream from Donaldson for 22 miles. The beautiful setting of the Williams River, along with its easy access and healthy stream habitat make it one of the best trout fishing streams in the state. Beginning on Black Mountain in Pocahontas County, this river continues to flow 33 miles west to merge with the Gauley River at Donaldson. The villages of Donaldson, Dyer and Three Forks of Williams River are the only named communities along its remote course.
Two resources in the Williams watershed were timber and coal, these were developed in the post-Civil War period. In the 1890s, logs were floated down the river in the spring flows to a mill at Camden-on-Gauley. Most of the timber in the Williams watershed was taken out by log train from 1905 to about 1940, to mills at Marlinton and Richwood. Coal mining activity continued on the lower Williams into the 1970s. The isolation and ruggedness that hindered the settlement of the watershed allowed most of it to return to a near original state following the timbering, and today perhaps its most important value is for recreation.
You'll leave the Williams River and join the Highland Scenic Highway.
Deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains lies the Highland Scenic Highway, which provides one of the most stunning mountain drives in the nation.
As an isolated area with abundant natural resources, the wilderness of the Highland Scenic Highway was an early haven for Americans seeking to avoid the horrors of the Civil War. Families who moved to the area at this time maintained their seclusion for decades. In the 1960s, the descendants of these families experienced a visit from people researching for the Smithsonian Institution. As the researchers studied and recorded the oral histories of the families in this area, they discovered that the language spoken was still the Elizabethan English of the early U.S. settlers!
You'll pass two overlooks that I urge you to stop at for a photo. The Big Spruce Overlook and Williams River Overlook both have outstanding views.

The Cranberry Mountain Nature Centre is next and is a great place to stop for your picnic.
At the centre you can learn about the rich flora and fauna of the Cranberry Wilderness Area and also the Cranberry Glades and Hills Creek Falls. You can visit the Glades and the falls a short distance further along this route. The center features include interpretive programs, native wildflower garden, live snakes, interpretive displays, nature-related items and clothing for sale, trails, picnic tables, children's events and programs. There are no fees for programs, events and admission.
After lunch, and just 1/2 mile from the centre you can take a right turn to visit Cranberry Glades 1 1/2 miles along Public Road 102.
The Cranberry Glades Botanical Area protects the largest area of bogs in West Virginia. Bogs are acidic wetlands more commonly found in the northern areas of this country and in Canada. The ground in a bog is spongy and consists largely of partially-decayed plant material known as peat. Because of its unique conditions, some unusual plants grow in bogs, including carnivorous or insect-eating plants. The Botanical Area encompasses 750 acres. The Cranberry Glades consists of four bogs whose plant and animal life is similar to that found in the bogs or "muskegs" of the north. The natural history of the Glades has been traced back at least 12,200 years. Apparently, a forest of conifer-northern hardwoods replaced tundra with the end of the last Ice Age. Over time the Glades formed into what it is today, the Cranberry Glades are now the southern-most point in North America where some of these life forms are found.
A half-mile boardwalk has been constructed through two of the bogs so you can enjoy the area without disturbing this fragile community. Well worth a visit.
5 minutes further along the Highland Scenic Highway and you'll see a signpost and turn off on the left for the Falls of Hills Creek:
A series of three falls cascade over rock layers of sandstone and shale, 20 feet, 45 feet, and the third falling 65 feet, making this waterfall one of the highest in West Virginia. The Falls of Hills Creek is the glittering jewel in the crown of the Monongahela National Forest.
The handicap accessible boardwalk is 1,700 feet long and allows all to view the first waterfall. The rhododendrons and laurel flourish under the shade canopy. The first fall drops 25 feet, crashing to the rocks below.
Continue on to the second waterfall via a dirt path and set of wooden steps. At 45 feet tall and much wider than the first fall, you begin to appreciate the natural beauty of Hills Creek as the creek cascades and rolls over moss covered boulders. For wildflower enthusiasts, the forest carpet is alive with over 40 species of blooms, mostly in the spring through early summer.
The dirt walkway, interspersed with rocks and small boulders, continues onward to the third and final waterfall. The trip from the parking lot to the lower falls is over three quarter mile. Towards the end, the dirt path will turn to metal steps down a set of switchbacks to the overlook. The awesome view of the 65 foot fall is worth every step of the way. From the top fall to the lowest fall, the Creek drops 220 feet.
Two viewing decks provide a great position for taking photographs or simply relaxing and enjoying.
Back onto the Highland Scenic Highway and you'll start following the path of the North Fork of Cherry River.
The upper headwaters of the Cherry begin as two separate creeks, the North Fork Cherry River and the South Fork Cherry River, each of which rises in southeastern Pocahontas County and flows generally west-north-westwardly across northern Greenbrier County before converging in Nicholas County at the city of Richwood.
You can choose to turn off of the Highland Scenic Highway to visit Summit Lake, a small 2 1/4 mile detour.
Summit Lake is a 43-acre cold water reservoir in the Gauley Ranger District of the Monongahela National Forest. The reservoir is formed by the impoundment of the waters of two forks of Coats Run, a small tributary of the North Fork of the Cherry River. In times of drought when the Cherry River becomes too shallow, the lake can be used to supply Richwood's municipal water system.
Richwood is next and it is the end of the magnificent Highland Scenic Highway.
During the 19th century, the small farming community of Richwood was known as Cherry Tree Bottoms. That all changed in 1901 with the construction of The Cherry River Boom and Lumber Company's saw mill. That same year, the town was incorporated with its present name referencing the abundant hardwood forests in the area. The population went from 25 people to 4,400 in just a few years, making Richwood a bonafide boom town.
At peak operation, the mill employed over 1,000 workers, and produced 270,000 board feet of lumber daily. The huge success of the mill attracted other wood related industries to the area. In 1901, the Dodge Clothes Pin Company built the largest clothes pin factory in the world in Richwood. The following year, The Cherry River Tanning Company built a very large tannery, attracted by the large quantities of Hemlock bark owned by the Cherry River Boom and Lumber Company.
Over the years the mill changed ownership many times and production and employment dropped steadily. Production at the mill was put on hold for a period of time, and the proud workers and citizens of Richwood suffered. However, in 2021, AFP Log and Lumber Incorporated bought the mill, and reopened operations to the delight of the people of Richwood.
At Fenwick, you take a left over the Cherry River and follow the twisty road back to your starting point at Summersville.
Enjoy.