Cranberry Wilderness

Cranberry Wilderness lies in Pocahontas and Webster Counties, West Virginia, and is the largest Forest Service wilderness area in the eastern United States. Broad mountains are dissected by deep and narrow valleys, with elevations ranging from 2,400 feet to more than 4,600 feet. Here on the Allegheny Plateau the Wilderness contains the entire drainage of the Middle Fork of the Williams River and the North Fork of the Cranberry River. The Williams River forms the northern boundary and the South Fork of the Cranberry River marks the southwestern boundary. You will find primarily Appalachian hardwoods, with stands of red spruce at the highest elevations. Cranberry Wilderness is contained within the Black Bear Sanctuary. Black bears are abundant and share the Wilderness with white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, grouse, rabbits, mink, bobcats, and foxes. Naturally acidic water limits the fish populations, and the streams are not stocked. More than 70 miles of maintained hiking trails provide access, and trails follow both rivers — the Middle Fork Trail runs for 9 miles and the North Fork Trail for 7.5 miles. There are no trails maintained for horses and no bridges over streams, so take caution fording streams during high water. Frost may occur any month of the year, precipitation falls in winter, spring, and fall, and winter snow may block road access. Designated in 1983 and managed by the U.S. Forest Service.