West Virginia · Hiking · Dolly Sods Wilderness

Bear Rocks Trail

Bear Rocks TrailPhoto: FishSpeaker, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
4.7 mi
round trip
885 ft
climb
4,071 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Bear Rocks Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Monongahela National Forest. It doesn't name Bear Rocks Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Monongahela National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Bear Rocks Trail is a 4.7-mile out-and-back hike in the Dolly Sods Wilderness, part of the Potomac Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and sits within designated wilderness, so it is a backcountry route rather than a developed one. The climb is steady, with a total gain of 885 feet over the round trip. The high point is 4,071 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.9 miles in, where the grade reaches 14%. The trail is natural-surfaced and not accessible, and bikes are not allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 75°F with lows near 57°F, while winter highs stay around freezing. The station sits about 350 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the route run a little cooler. The trail is open year-round, and the trip takes about two hours. Beaver View Trail starts just 0.2 miles away, and the Dolly Sods Region climbing area is 0.6 miles off. Dobbin Slashings Trail and Upper Red Creek Trail are both within about a mile.