Otter Creek, WV

“Hope ya don’t mind if I bring this to a new thread so I can pick your brain Tom?

"The creek trail is eleven miles from mouth to headwaters and the only real grades are in the first mile from the headwaters/south end.


There are mandatory crossings 4.5 miles down stream from the south end and 3.5 miles up stream from the mouth(north end).

The mouth of Otter Creek is the size of a river where it meets the Dry Fork River.
The flood plain is fairly wide for those first three miles and nearly as flat as Ohio.
About two miles up there is a good campsite near where Big Springs Gap Trail fords the creek to the west side of the wilderness area.
The creek is about 100 feet wide here and no more than knee-deep.......normally.
This site would be a good base camp to haul a sled full of beer and comfort food and gear to.
From there one could day hike up the Green Mountain Trail to one of the two known overlooks."

Is there any way of getting around the creek crossings? I think my buddy won’t be too impressed with me if I have him wading in January.”

“From the mouth of Otter Creek, you can cross a swinging bridge to get to the Otter Creek Trail, and the junction with the Green Mountain Trail is on the same side of the creek before the first crossing. But if you want to go beyond the first ford, then no, there is no way to do it without getting wet feet.

There is a campsite near the trail junction, because when I hiked that trail the creek was high. I camped overnight near the trail junction and crossed the next day after the creek went down.

I only recall one overlook, which is the old shelter site on the Shavers Mountain Trail, which intersects the Green Mountain Trail. If you do it this way, there are no creek crossings, but the Green Mountain Trail is steep as all get-out for the first mile up from the creek. But it is doable. Coming downhill is probably worse.”

“Just checked the weather and it's going to be in the high 40s and rainin' like a sumbltch. Bullocks!”

“That's why they call it Wet Virginia. I was folding down my tarps from a rainy weekend near the end of the season and reflected that I had gone home with dry tarps just once all year. Even God makes mistakes!”

“Dang Geobeet!
That makes THREE known overlooks!

At the point where Green Mountain Trail tops out there is a fork in the trail.
To the right its about 1.5 miles to Possession Camp, a nice grassy oasis in the midst of nearly impenetrable rhododendron hells and spruce and fir.
There is a very good little creek <100 feet from the camp site and room for several tents.
Just after the fork LEFT, between two trees of different types(I was gonna remember the types), is a trail on the left.
Its about 1/4 mile or more to a VERY nice overlook.
You can see the S-curve of the Otter Creek valley from there.
There is room to camp under a hemlock(or was it spruce?) that is very cozy and and cave-like just back from the edge.

Geobeet is correct about the crossings.

Green Mountain Trail is a killer hump but once you're up there you can tool around up there for miles, its a huge plateau.

I didn't mention the suspension bridge that takes you to the mouth of Otter Creek.
Road access is easier there in winter from Route 72, just a few miles from Parsons, WVa.
I got into deep shnow just last Friday at the OTHER END of the wilderness for the umpteenth time.
Its two miles of FS road that way.”

“When I crossed that suspension bridge, it was in poor repair with floorboards missing and Dry Fork just at flood stage, me carrying a heavy pack. I don't think I've had that kind of excitement before or since.

The boards did not look reassuring, so I hung onto the cable for dear life, and the cable was rusted as all get-out. It didn't do my hands a lot of good.

I think it's been replaced since, or else it fell into the drink and a new one was built.

I missed that overlook entirely. Guess I'll just have to go back and do it over again.

The old shelter site has a limited view to the east (Rich Mountain, where a windmill farm is proposed). In late fall, early spring, or winter, there should be lots of views to the east. Shavers Mountain is a hogback with the steep slope on the east. Otter Creek cuts down the center of the syncline.”

“That was a link to my webshot pix looking into Otter Creek Wilderness from Table Rock on Canaan Mountain. The link works if you click on the underline.”

“The suspension bridge over the Dry Fork River at the mouth of Otter Creek has been replaced in the last several years and is now in excellent shape.

Looking down at the river from the bridge can be dizzying.....the river is very fast-moving.

The mouth of Otter Creek is like a gateway to another world, a wild and wet place.”

“I did some looking around at information on that place and it looks really beautiful. I gotta try and get down that way. Most of the hiking down there is within 5-5 1/2 hours from me but I've never backpacked there.”

“Otter Creek is about 240 miles from home for me.

I like to spend at least two or three nights if I go that far.”

“Yeah, that's stretching it for an overnighter. My weekend goes from Friday morning to Sunday night so I'm lucky in that sense.”

“Yeah man, I work Sunday through Thursday.

I can get Sundays off easy enough and I sometimes drive out there Thursday night to get a jump on things.

Most of Otter Creek has only fallen under the saw once....ever!
Nothing there is more than 100 years old and there are cove trees, poplars, that are over 100 feet tall.
Its the precipitation, stupid!
Not YOU!”

“I have very fond memories of Otter Creek, and visited the upper portion with Creek Dancer last July when the rhododendron was in bloom. Sections of that upper portion appear very primeval. But there are scads of illegal campsites - some huge - along that stretch as well, taking a lot away from the wilderness experience.

A wet place indeed, quite similar to the Sods in geology, accounting for the boginess.

The waterfalls along the creek are gorgeous. Not high, but there are quite a few of them.”

“Several years ago as I was leaving the headwaters end I met a kayaker who was fixin' to run the eleven miles of Otter Creek.

This after a few days of rain and VERY high water.......KOW-A-BUNGA!!!!!!!!”

“If you guys would like to do a trip there in the spring I'd be up for that. Of course, if Tom doesn't want to hike with a brown shirt I understand. XO”

“My spring plans are not quite formulated just yet, but I expect there is a better than even chance I could find myself up Otter Creek without a paddle.

Yes, after two or three days of heavy, steady rain you could kayak just about the entire length, although there are some bodaceous dropoffs here and there.”

“Anyone know if there's actually water at the camp on Shavers Mountain this time of year?”

“After this summer, one would think yes, but the weather folks were not the least worried about the after-effects of Frances because the ground was so dry. So there's probably not water there, unless the wet weather continues.”

“Hmmmm, I’m going there next weekend and I’d hate to make the hump up there to find no water. Maybe I’ll just stick to the low trails along the creek in stead. Especially sense I’d have to find enough water for me and the dog who drinks like a fish.”

“Sounds sensible to me. I've only used the spring once, and it was so long ago I can't remember whether it was during a wet or dry spell or something in between.”

“Is that spring near the site of the Shavers Mountain shelter?

The west side of the wilderness is very cool.

Moore Run Bog is something to see.


If you start from Condon Run.....headwaters....a nice loop can be made.

North/downstream on Otter Creek Trail about 1.2 miles to Yellow Creek Trail.

Turn left and up the creek.
Take the first right fork....hmmmmm, one mile??

Over McGowan Mountain north to Moore Run Trail east,past the bog and re-join Otter Creek Trail about 4.5 miles downstream from the Condom Run trailhead.

That's a good loop of about 14 miles with just about all the varied environs that the wilderness area has to offer.

The bog is huge and bears resemblance to parts of Dolly Sods.”

“Sweet! Thanks Tom. I was trying to work out a loop about that size due to the drive and the need to be home in time for work Sunday night. I'll give it a shot and report back.”

“Do you know the access for Condon Run?

Route 33 about 15 miles east of Elkins.

FR 91 is at the top of a grade on the left/north side of Route 33.

At about 1.5 miles there is a junction.

The right fork takes you down to the trailhead about .5 mile.

The left fork goes to Bear Heaven Campground......about a mile??......left side of road.

Bear Heaven would make a nice site for a Trail Talk git-fiddlin'-beer-guzzlin' car campin' trip.”

“That's the Alpena entrance to Stuart Memorial Drive, which is what the brown and yellow sign reads. That's the trailhead at the upper end of Otter Creek. The lower end is along WV Route 72, which can be accessed from US 219 on the west or WV Route 32 on the east. There used to be a small parking apron there, but I have not been through that area in a long time.”

“Thanks for directions. The map I have is from a pamphlet from 1975 but looks like the same map I’ve found on line. One question, have they removed the shelters?”

“I've heard that they have and I've heard that they didn't. I have not been to all the shelter sites of late so can't say for certain, but it sounds as though the one on Shavers Mountain is gone. The one along the creek may or may not be there. MarkO may have better info on that.”

“Both shelters are gone......

I had lunch in the one about 4.5 miles downstream from the headwaters trailhead in February 2002.

The next time I went by there, all that was left was charred remains.

The site of the creek shelter has lots of grassy places for tents.

That site is 1/4 mile downstream from where Moore Run Trail meets the creek trail.

Between that site and Moore Run Trail is a huge swimmin' hole.”