Planning a trip to dolly Sods

[bnalley]

Hi
I am planning a trip to the Dolly Sods in WV at the end of may/ first of June with my wife and son. This will be their first time hammock camping as they have both been ground dwellers to this point. I have been a hanger for years and they have always given my hammock and tarp the stink eye when I've tried to get them to switch. (I think my wife feels more secure in a tent or some such nonsense) Anyway, I really want their first experience hanging to be great. I have all the hammocks, tarps, top/underquilts, accessories, etc. that anyone could want and the experience to ensure a great hang for them. What I lack is knowledge about the Sods as I have never been there. We will be going into the Sods for four leisurely days covering 25 to 30 miles ideally. I know the terrain there varies so any advice on areas that are not good for hanging or suggestions on routes for the trip would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to get them at the end of a day to find ourselves in an area with no trees to set up on. We're all experienced backpackers and are capable of 8 to 10 mile days with relative ease but for our first trip up there I think we will take about a 7 mile a day pace and just relax.

Thanks,
Brett

[cmoulder]

We were there last October and although the north half has a lot of open spaces there are still plenty of hanging options.

The trails themselves can be very (VERY) wet and muddy — we walked thru miles and miles of it. At first, everybody tried to keep shoes dry by walking around and hop-scotching rocks and logs, but very soon realized that we were just going to have to get our feet wet. Even boots would have been useless in this situation. Fly-fishing hip waders would have worked.

[jshpa90]

yeah the sods are generally really wet and really rocky. I'd recommend like a pair of sandals with a heel strap for water crossings and just the large amount of mud

[wsp_scott]

Plan on wet feet, just wear trail runners or sneakers and get your feet wet and muddy. There are enough wet spots that changing into water specific shoes is mostly pointless.

here are a couple trips to give you an idea of hammocks in the area

Last summer with my kids (total of about 15 miles) https://backpackandbeer.blogspot.com...ds-w-kids.html
Summer 2016 by myself (total of about 35 miles) https://backpackandbeer.blogspot.com...avigation.html

map https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE...rdb5152038.pdf

let me know if you have any specific questions

[arcana73]

Avoid Dobbins Grade. Avoid it at all costs.

[bnalley]

Plan on wet feet, just wear trail runners or sneakers and get your feet wet and muddy. There are enough wet spots that changing into water specific shoes is mostly pointless.

here are a couple trips to give you an idea of hammocks in the area

Last summer with my kids (total of about 15 miles) https://backpackandbeer.blogspot.com...ds-w-kids.html
Summer 2016 by myself (total of about 35 miles) https://backpackandbeer.blogspot.com...avigation.html

map https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE...rdb5152038.pdf

let me know if you have any specific questions

Thanks for the help, I think its going to be a great trip. I think we'll start at the southern Red Creek Trailhead and just meander around the place for a few days before looping back out. That is unless there's a more preferred sweet spot to start out at.
Thanks again,
Brett

[cmoulder]

Avoid Dobbins Grade. Avoid it at all costs.

Good advice. Dobbins will suck your shoes right off your feet.

[TxAggie]

I went to DS for a winter trip, and even then the trails were either wet or frozen. That being said, it’s a wonderful place to hike.

As for hanging, I think the wetness makes the Sods one of those places where hammocks make much more sense than a tent. We were on the south trails, and all of the marked campsites had plenty of hammock options from what I could see.

Enjoy. It’s definitely a unique experience.


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