Dolly Sods Wilderness

Unbelievable place. It’s like being in a whole different world. Lots of nicely maintained trails. Gets pretty popular in the warmer weather nowadays.

Had a wonderful overnight winter camping trip here at the Dolly Sods. Our intention was to do the full loop however, the snow was deeper than expected so we had to cut it short and do 16 miles. We were glad of the many trails we could take. There are no blazes on the trail, so up on the plateau it was very difficult to know where the trail was with it being snow covered. We throughly enjoyed camping at one of the many campsites. Water was easy to come by. The next day we saw lions head and some waterfalls. We recommend downloading offline maps or we would have missed multiple trails. We had to backtrack a few times. For wildlife we saw about 6 deer, and some fox and turkey tracks. The last piece was crossing the river. We brought garbage bags for our legs but that was not enough. We got a little wet but likely it was a quick 1.5 back to the trailhead where our car was parked. I finished off the snowy adventure with some Cedar Meadow Naturals tallow hand soap to mosturize my hands from the dry weather.

A fantastic taste of Canadian tundra like climate. A diverse and unique species of flora! I love the blueberry bushes and fungi. The wind burned pines seem so comfortable despite the harshness the area can be at times. There is such a wide variety of lichen! I come back to this spot every year, and I always am in such awe at the beauty and mysticism surrounding this place. I could spend weeks here if I had the time. It is a backpackers paradise! The history behind Dolly sods is fascinating as well! One of the most underrated places I have been to in the USA. Please add this to the list of places you must visit! You won’t be disappointed!

This is a must visit place if you like remote hiking and alpine like vegetation at low altitude. Also amazing to see the large wild beaver population, ponds and lodges. It is a gem for backpacking and enjoyed a 30+ mile loop.

Beautiful hiking trails with stunning vistas, always register at trail heads and get a paper map. The weather is constantly changing so be prepared! The service road to get to bear rocks is treacherous with pot holes, but worth it!