Nestled deep in the mountains of Monongahela National Forest is a place called the Dolly Sods Wilderness. It is a region wholly different from the rest of West Virginia, containing fauna and flora generally found in Canada. The story of the unusual ecology at Dolly Sods is an old one. It begins about 2 million years ago.
There is a reason why the Dolly Sods Wilderness doesn’t look like most regions of West Virginia.
During the Pleistocene Epoch, a period of time occurring roughly between 2,588,000 and 11,700 years ago, glacial forces created the ecology present in the Dolly Sods Wilderness today. During that time, massive continental ice sheets drifted from the upper north, driving both fauna and flora to the Appalachian region. The movement of these sheets stripped top soil and deposited rock and boulders generally found in portions of Canada.
Many of the transported plants have long since taken root, and several species that might have remained up north, such as the snowshoe hare, thrive in the Appalachian mountains in relative isolation, where the climate is similar to certain regions of Canada.
A trip to Dolly Sods allows hikers to view an ecology generally present in another country, and it is not difficult to get lost out there all day. Along the way, you will find stands of red spruce in copious amounts.
Another common feature are small fields of rocks and large swaths of Canadian boulders scattered across the wilderness area.
There are many open fields hikers can cross and several hardwood forests with lush foliage that wind through the area.
Amidst these forests hikers will find many species of trees, including yellow birch, red maple, eastern hemlock, black cherry and sugar maple.
Areas like Dolly Sods prove that sometimes you don’t have to travel as far as you think to experience the wilds of another land. Once in a great while, Mother Nature will bring that land to you.
What is your favorite area in Monongahela National Forest? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Love getting outdoors in West Virginia? Check out these 10 beautiful places to relax and commune with nature.
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