Trans-America Trail — Seneca to Parsons via the Monongahela National Forest High Divide

This West Virginia segment of Sam Correro’s Trans-America Trail links Seneca Rocks — one of the most recognisable rock faces in the eastern US — westward through the Monongahela National Forest toward Parsons and the Blackwater River country. The route climbs onto Spruce Mountain and Cheat Mountain ridgelines where the forest turns to Canadian-zone red spruce and the two-track narrows to little more than an ATV path. Seneca Creek Backcountry and the upper Gauley watershed appear in the valleys below. Expect mud, fallen timber across the track in spring, and sections of old logging road that the USFS barely maintains. The Dry Fork of the Cheat River crossing near Hendricks requires checking water levels — it runs high and fast after rainfall.

Moderate to difficult depending on season. A stock lifted 4WD with high clearance handles it in summer; add mud tyres and a recovery kit for spring or fall when the track softens. This section of the TAT is not well-signed — you need the official TAT GPS tracks loaded and a backup paper map of the Monongahela National Forest. Dispersed camping is available throughout the forest; no permit required for most of it. Best season is June through October. Cell service is essentially gone once you leave the valleys. The appeal is simple: you’re in genuine Appalachian backcountry, far from the parkway crowds, running on forest roads that feel forgotten.