Highland Scenic Highway Backcountry Connector

Most tourists stick to the paved Highland Scenic Highway for its postcard views, but the real adventure starts where Forest Service Road 86 branches off near Cranberry Mountain. This 24-mile connector weaves through some of the highest elevations in West Virginia, passing the mysterious Cranberry Glades — a relic bog ecosystem more at home in Canada than Appalachia. The route climbs to 4,200 feet where red spruce and mountain ash create a boreal forest unlike anything else in the Mid-Atlantic, complete with northern wildlife like snowshoe hare and northern flying squirrel.

Easy to moderate difficulty makes this accessible to stock high-clearance vehicles, though the altitude brings weather challenges year-round. Snow can hit as early as October and linger through May at higher elevations, while summer thunderstorms roll in fast across these exposed ridges. No permits needed, but check conditions at Cranberry Visitor Center — fog can drop visibility to zero in minutes. Dispersed camping allowed throughout Monongahela National Forest boundaries. Bring layers and don’t trust your GPS once you’re in the spruce zone; cellular coverage is nonexistent in these high hollows.