Roaring Plains West Wilderness - Winter Hike - Member Hike

Hike Name:	Roaring Plains West Wilderness - Winter Hike
Country:	United States
State:	West Virginia
Nearby Town:	Elkins
Rating:
Directions:	From I-79, take the US 33 East exit, and continue to follow US 33 for approximately 60 miles. Bear left on West Virginia 32 and continue for approximately 3.9 miles. Turn right on Bonner Mountain Road (CR-32/3) and follow for approximately 0.9 miles. Continue on Red Creek for another 3.2 miles. Cross the bridge over Red Creek and the parking area for the trailhead will be on the left. To reach the trailhead, backtrack up the road on foot approximately 0.2 miles. The trailhead will be on the opposite side of the road from the parking area.
Total Hike Distance:	8.00 miles
Hike Difficulty:	Moderate
Permit Required:	No
Hike Type:	In & Out, Backtrack Hike
Hike Starts/Ends:	Flatrock Run Trailhead Parking Area
Trails Used:	Flatrock Run Trail
Backcountry Campsites:	No
Backcountry Water Sources:	Streams, Snow
Management:	U.S. Forest Service
Contact Information:	Monongahela National Forest 200 Sycamore Street Elkins, West Virginia 26241 Phone: (304) 636-1800 Cheat-Potomac Ranger District HC 59 Box 240 Petersburg, West Virginia 26847 Phone: (304) 257-4488, ext. 0
Best Season:	Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Users:	Hikers, Dogs, Horses
Road Conditions:	Secondary Paved Roads
Hike Summary:	The Roaring Plains West Wilderness is located approximately three miles southwest of the Dolly Sods Wilderness, and consists of 6,792 acres of diverse vegetation. Elevations range from approximately 2,400 feet at the trailhead parking area to 4,770 feet at the top of Mt. Porte Crayon, West Virginia's fifth highest point. The lower elevations are largely dominated by dense hardwood and spruce forests, while the higher elevations are populated by spruce and brush, with an under-story of bogs, grasses, mountain laurel, and rhododendron. This hike starts at the trailhead parking area adjacent to the bridge over Red Creek. The actual trailhead is approximately 0.2 miles back up the road, so the first little westward stint is on asphalt. At the trailhead, the Flatrock Run Trail turns south, and slowly ascends across private property for its first mile before reaching the Monongahela National Forest boundary. Hikers are allowed access here through an agreement between the Forest Service and the landowner. The remainder of the hike is simply a gradual traverse up and back down the Flatrock Run Trail. For this particular hike, the turnaround point was approximately a quarter mile beyond a large boulder located at the tip of a switchback at approximately four miles in. However, the trip can be made into a longer in and out backtrack hike, or a longer roundtrip loop hike. See the following link for additional information: www.yourhikes.com/HikePages/HikePage.aspx?HikeID=1267