We love going to the Dancing Bear just to get away, enjoy quiet, family time, and forget about work, traffic, and cell phones. But we also love the fantastic touring and recreational opportunities in Pendleton and surrounding counties. For general information about Pendleton County opportunities, click here http://www.pendletoncounty.net/
Now, for some of our favorite things to do or places to go...
This area map with links is a great starting point: http://www.pendletoncounty.net/arealinks.htm
And a few of our personal favorites:
Biking - There is great biking right outside the cabin door. One of our favorite rides starts at our driveway and follows Thorn Creek, a beautiful trout stream, for an out-and-back ride of up to 15 miles. This is a great morning or evening ride and always has lots of wildlife. We've seen deer, turkeys, bald eagles, and bears on this ride. The nearly National Forest is full of road and trail biking opportunities near Spruce Knob, Seneca Rocks, and other great destinations. Here's a link to some local rides: http://www.pendletoncounty.net/tour_index.htm. Lots of other biking in the area, including mountain biking (Spruce Knob and many other areas), rails to trails (Greenbrier River Trail), etc.
http://www.wvbike.org/spruce_knob/index.html
Touring - Whether by car, bike, or motorcycle, touring Pendleton County is like driving through a picture postcard. From well-kept farms, rushing rivers, majestic towering rock formations, charming shops, or incredible scenic overlooks, you will find an adventure around every turn. Just take a state or county road map or freelance your way through this area of great beauty.
Hiking - We love to hike up the forested mountain directly behind the cabin, but there are also well-known hiking destinations all around. Some of the better known areas within an hour are listed below.
Pendleton County Area - full of local opportunities:
http://www.trails.com/activity.aspx?area=13281#trailid=HGD101-003&lat=38.61&lon=-79.23&zoom=10&m=terrain&a=HK
Spruce Knob, at 4863 feet (1482 m), is the highest point in the state of West Virginia and the summit of Spruce Mountain. Hiking trails abound. The mountain is about 40 minutes away. Driving to the summit is probably a bit over an hour. See links below, or just Google Spruce Knob WV for info.
http://coloradoguy.com/west-virginia-highest-point/spruce-knob.htm
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGD134-068
http://www.thebackpacker.com/trails/wv/trail_930.php
http://www.mountainzone.com/mountains/detail.asp?fid=4082056
Seneca Rocks is not just an incredible rock climbing destination. It also features a great visitors' center, hiking trails, and cultural, historic, and environmental programs. There is a wonderful trail to a decked overlook at the top of the rocks. If you have never visited Seneca Rocks, you will find that it is definitely a "must see" destination! It's only about 40 minutes from the Dancing Bear to this great destination!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Rocks
http://www.virginiawind.com/virginia_travel/seneca.asp
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTJw8jAwjQL8h2VAQAzHJMsQ!!/?ss=110921&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&navid=100000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&recid=7050&ttype=recarea&pname=Monongahela%20National%20Forest%20-%20Seneca%20Rocks%20Discovery%20Center
Dolly Sods is an amazing wilderness area with outstanding hiking and backpacking in a remote setting. It is the highest plateau of its type east of the Mississippi. Much of the Dolly Sods area is above 4,000 feet, with some points at 4,700 ft. in elevation. Flora and fauna are more typical of Canada than the southeast US. In addition to great hiking trails, Dolly Sods is well-known for endless wild blueberries and huckleberries from late July through August. Commercial harvesting is not allowed, but you can pick all you want for your personal use. We particularly like the Bear Rocks area (northeast) of Dolly Sods for blueberry picking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Sods_Wilderness
http://www.hikingupward.com/MNF/DollySodsNorth/
http://www.trailpixie.net/dolly_sods/
Canoeing - From lakes (Spruce Knob Lake, Brandywine Lake, Brushy Fork Lake) to a variety of mild or challenging whitewater rivers, canoeing opportunities abound in a one-hour radius from the Dancing Bear. The South Branch of the Potomac River flows through the Town of Franklin. At that point it is strictly a whitewater stream (during periods when there is sufficient flow). Farther downstream, near the Towns of Petersburg and Moorefield, the South Branch is a popular and productive float-fishing stream, with excellent fishing for smallmouth bass, trout, and sunfish. The Smoke Hole area (between Franklin and Petersburg) is a well-known whitewater section of the South Branch and also a popular area for trout and smallmouth bass fishing.
http://www.visitpendleton.com/Places/SmokeHoleCanyon/tabid/289/Default.aspx
http://www.eaglesnestoutfitters.com/
Fishing - Thorn Creek, a high-quality wild brook trout stream, is just a mile from the Dancing Bear Cabin. Although much of this stream flows through private land, there is a one-half-mile public section where only fly fishing is allowed and all fish must be immediately released. The South Branch of the Potomac River in Franklin is frequently stocked with trout and is very popular with local anglers. There are a number of wild trout streams in the Monongahela National Forest. Also, several lakes (see canoeing, above) offer excellent fishing. Some links for fishing in Pendleton County and the surrounding area are below.
http://www.wvdnr.gov/fishing/fishing.shtm
Caving - Pendleton County is a well-know caving destination, both for public, tourist-type, developed caves and caverns and for serious cavers looking for undeveloped caves entirely in their natural state. Here are some links to get started...
http://senecacaverns.com/
http://www.smokehole.com/
Rock Climbing - Pendleton County is a rock-climbers' paradise. Many opportunities for rock climbing exist. Two of the best-known public areas are Seneca Rocks and Nelson Rocks.
http://www.senecarocks.com/
http://www.nelsonrocks.org/
Skiing - Outstanding downhill and cross-country skiing are available in the area. Just a little over a one-hour drive takes you from the Dancing Bear to the Canaan Valley area of WV, famous for its extreme snowfall, largely from lake-effect snow. During the winter of 2009-201- this area had around 250 inches (that's 20 FEET!) of snow. Popular developed ski areas include Whitegrass (cross-country) and Canaan Valley and Timberline resorts (downhill). The Spruce Knob area, with many trails at high elevation, has much natural snow and cross country skiing through much of the winter.
Shopping, Restaurants, Theater, Antiques, etc. - We are an hour from Harrisonburg, VA, in the heart of the historic, scenic Shenandoah Valley. For more information, see Harrisonburg's web site http://www.harrisonburgtourism.com/.
Now, for some of our favorite things to do or places to go...
This area map with links is a great starting point: http://www.pendletoncounty.net/arealinks.htm
And a few of our personal favorites:
Biking - There is great biking right outside the cabin door. One of our favorite rides starts at our driveway and follows Thorn Creek, a beautiful trout stream, for an out-and-back ride of up to 15 miles. This is a great morning or evening ride and always has lots of wildlife. We've seen deer, turkeys, bald eagles, and bears on this ride. The nearly National Forest is full of road and trail biking opportunities near Spruce Knob, Seneca Rocks, and other great destinations. Here's a link to some local rides: http://www.pendletoncounty.net/tour_index.htm. Lots of other biking in the area, including mountain biking (Spruce Knob and many other areas), rails to trails (Greenbrier River Trail), etc.
http://www.wvbike.org/spruce_knob/index.html
Touring - Whether by car, bike, or motorcycle, touring Pendleton County is like driving through a picture postcard. From well-kept farms, rushing rivers, majestic towering rock formations, charming shops, or incredible scenic overlooks, you will find an adventure around every turn. Just take a state or county road map or freelance your way through this area of great beauty.
Hiking - We love to hike up the forested mountain directly behind the cabin, but there are also well-known hiking destinations all around. Some of the better known areas within an hour are listed below.
Pendleton County Area - full of local opportunities:
http://www.trails.com/activity.aspx?area=13281#trailid=HGD101-003&lat=38.61&lon=-79.23&zoom=10&m=terrain&a=HK
Spruce Knob, at 4863 feet (1482 m), is the highest point in the state of West Virginia and the summit of Spruce Mountain. Hiking trails abound. The mountain is about 40 minutes away. Driving to the summit is probably a bit over an hour. See links below, or just Google Spruce Knob WV for info.
http://coloradoguy.com/west-virginia-highest-point/spruce-knob.htm
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGD134-068
http://www.thebackpacker.com/trails/wv/trail_930.php
http://www.mountainzone.com/mountains/detail.asp?fid=4082056
Seneca Rocks is not just an incredible rock climbing destination. It also features a great visitors' center, hiking trails, and cultural, historic, and environmental programs. There is a wonderful trail to a decked overlook at the top of the rocks. If you have never visited Seneca Rocks, you will find that it is definitely a "must see" destination! It's only about 40 minutes from the Dancing Bear to this great destination!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Rocks
http://www.virginiawind.com/virginia_travel/seneca.asp
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTJw8jAwjQL8h2VAQAzHJMsQ!!/?ss=110921&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&navid=100000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&recid=7050&ttype=recarea&pname=Monongahela%20National%20Forest%20-%20Seneca%20Rocks%20Discovery%20Center
Dolly Sods is an amazing wilderness area with outstanding hiking and backpacking in a remote setting. It is the highest plateau of its type east of the Mississippi. Much of the Dolly Sods area is above 4,000 feet, with some points at 4,700 ft. in elevation. Flora and fauna are more typical of Canada than the southeast US. In addition to great hiking trails, Dolly Sods is well-known for endless wild blueberries and huckleberries from late July through August. Commercial harvesting is not allowed, but you can pick all you want for your personal use. We particularly like the Bear Rocks area (northeast) of Dolly Sods for blueberry picking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Sods_Wilderness
http://www.hikingupward.com/MNF/DollySodsNorth/
http://www.trailpixie.net/dolly_sods/
Canoeing - From lakes (Spruce Knob Lake, Brandywine Lake, Brushy Fork Lake) to a variety of mild or challenging whitewater rivers, canoeing opportunities abound in a one-hour radius from the Dancing Bear. The South Branch of the Potomac River flows through the Town of Franklin. At that point it is strictly a whitewater stream (during periods when there is sufficient flow). Farther downstream, near the Towns of Petersburg and Moorefield, the South Branch is a popular and productive float-fishing stream, with excellent fishing for smallmouth bass, trout, and sunfish. The Smoke Hole area (between Franklin and Petersburg) is a well-known whitewater section of the South Branch and also a popular area for trout and smallmouth bass fishing.
http://www.visitpendleton.com/Places/SmokeHoleCanyon/tabid/289/Default.aspx
http://www.eaglesnestoutfitters.com/
Fishing - Thorn Creek, a high-quality wild brook trout stream, is just a mile from the Dancing Bear Cabin. Although much of this stream flows through private land, there is a one-half-mile public section where only fly fishing is allowed and all fish must be immediately released. The South Branch of the Potomac River in Franklin is frequently stocked with trout and is very popular with local anglers. There are a number of wild trout streams in the Monongahela National Forest. Also, several lakes (see canoeing, above) offer excellent fishing. Some links for fishing in Pendleton County and the surrounding area are below.
http://www.wvdnr.gov/fishing/fishing.shtm
Caving - Pendleton County is a well-know caving destination, both for public, tourist-type, developed caves and caverns and for serious cavers looking for undeveloped caves entirely in their natural state. Here are some links to get started...
http://senecacaverns.com/
http://www.smokehole.com/
Rock Climbing - Pendleton County is a rock-climbers' paradise. Many opportunities for rock climbing exist. Two of the best-known public areas are Seneca Rocks and Nelson Rocks.
http://www.senecarocks.com/
http://www.nelsonrocks.org/
Skiing - Outstanding downhill and cross-country skiing are available in the area. Just a little over a one-hour drive takes you from the Dancing Bear to the Canaan Valley area of WV, famous for its extreme snowfall, largely from lake-effect snow. During the winter of 2009-201- this area had around 250 inches (that's 20 FEET!) of snow. Popular developed ski areas include Whitegrass (cross-country) and Canaan Valley and Timberline resorts (downhill). The Spruce Knob area, with many trails at high elevation, has much natural snow and cross country skiing through much of the winter.
Shopping, Restaurants, Theater, Antiques, etc. - We are an hour from Harrisonburg, VA, in the heart of the historic, scenic Shenandoah Valley. For more information, see Harrisonburg's web site http://www.harrisonburgtourism.com/.