by Laura Plumley (from the April 2025 Trail Riding Issue of Mules and More)

Wrangler Meadow Horse Camp

Located in the mountains of West Virginia and at the foot of Spruce Knob Recreational Area on Briery Road in Riverton, W.V., this fabulous horse camp was the perfect place to camp overnight before a big day of riding at Dolly Sods.

Wrangler Meadow Horse Camp has several trails with spectacular scenery and views right from camp. We rode from camp on an evening ride before having dinner at a great restaurant two miles away. The trails in the Spruce Knob Recreation Area are easily accessed from camp, and Dolly Sod, Tucker County and Greenbrier River are a short haul away. They will even rent you a bumper pull trailer so a person doesn’t have to drag around a big living quarter trailer if they want to haul to these different locations. The stalls and bath house were very nice. Dogs are welcome but they ask you keep them on leash in the campground.

Spruce Knob Recreation Area

Spruce Knob Recreation Area is in the Monongahela National Forest. At 4,863 feet, it’s the highest point in West Virginia. There is 100,000 scenic acres with some of the best trails in the great outdoors. The terrain varies from rocky to grassy and road width with single trail at times. There are several water crossing and the trails are marked, with trail diagrams at trailheads and maps available. If you like fishing, there is native and stocked trout fishing in Seneca Creek and Spruce Knob Lake.

Dolly Sods Wilderness Area

The next morning, we hauled an hour and ten minutes to the trailhead of Dolly Sods Wilderness in Tucker County, W.V. We went in October, and it was gorgeous at that time of year. I had always wanted to ride Dolly Sods in the fall. It was an amazing opportunity to get some stunning photos and see gorgeous sights. The day started out foggy, lending to a sort of ‘eerie’ feel, but then gave way to sunshine and clear, blue skies.

Dolly Sods Wilderness Area is my favorite place to trail ride in West Virginia. It’s part of the Monongahela National Forest in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia. It has over 17, 500 acres to explore with well marked trails. Diagrams at each trailhead and maps are available. Dolly Sods is rocky and heath barren with open landscape. The red spruce are stunted from the winter winds, often referred to as “flagged pine.” There are bogs and wetland with trail boardwalks. The total 47 miles of trails have spectacular panoramic views and are loved by horseback riders, hikers and outdoor enthusiast.

Greenbrier River Trail

Also located in West Virginia, the Greenbrier River Trail is a 70-plus mile old rail trail that runs between Cass and North Caldwell. There is lots of history along the trail. It’s not challenging but still fun for an easy ride.

In April, we rode a total of 10 miles on Greenbrier River Trail from Seebert towards Buckeye and back. We also had some delicious ice cream at Jack Horner’s.

There are 14 trailhead accesses and the trail is wide, gravel to grassy and easy riding. There are several places to enter the river.

Green Bank Observatory

The Allegheny Trail is a 330-mile trail that runs through the eastern part of West Virginia from Bruceton Mills to Peters Mountain, where it meets the Appalachian Trail. Along that trail there is a section in Green Bank that makes you feel like you are riding through a science fiction movie. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced.

Approximately 10 miles north of Seneca, located in a National Radio Quiet Zone, the Green Bank Observatory is the home of the Green Bank Telescope, one of the world’s largest objects. The Green Bank Observatory will give you a chance to unplug and look around. Cell service and Wi-Fi are banned here, so take this opportunity to check out the telescope and hands-on exhibits at the Green Bank Science Center, which offers free guided tours of their facilities.

“The first trailblazers of American radio astronomy called Green Bank Observatory home over 60 years ago,” reads the Green Bank Observatory website. “Today, their legacy is alive and well. Nestled in the mountain ranges and farmland of West Virginia, within the National Quiet Zone, radio astronomers are probing the furthest reaches of the universe, in order to discover answers to our most astounding astronomical questions.”

Trail Riding in West Virginia