Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area — Attraction in Franklin

My favorite spot in West Virginia for camping and hiking! The Seneca Rocks trail is an easy hike that one can complete in sneakers. However, hiking boots made the trek on the top of the rocks significantly easier. Before/after your hike you MUST get the chicken salad sandwich from Yokum's Deli and walk across the street to Harper's Old Country Store to get a can of Mountain State Brewing Co.'s 'Cold Trail' blonde ale to celebrate the Rocks. And say hi to Bo, the store owner's dog. You may find him on the trail going towards the top of the rocks. He is a natural trail guide. Don't worry, he knows those rocks better...

Great trails, smells, waterfalls, great views, and challenging on some trail route. My only issue is that the trails are not properly blazed well and trail maintenance is somewhat needed. Quite easy to get confused since the blue blazer seems to be the only color, and some intersections are crampled with various trails. I ended up on 2 wrong trails on my 2nd day which added 3 hrs or so and 5 extra miles to my original 16 mile trip; many uphill sections. Also be aware of black bears on the far right side trails on the map, I saw a tagged mama and cub about 30 yards or so below the trail on my first day....

getting to the actual Seneca Rocks is simple: there's a trail that winds up the mountain and will put you right up there. it's fairly arduous for a casual hiker though and will be plenty exhausting. as far as I'm aware, climbing on the actual rocks is forbidden but that didn't stop me or many others. I'd definitely recommend that only for the fit or able, as it can be dangerous. there's an observation deck on the...