Trails / West Virginia / Monongahela National Forest

Cranberry Wilderness Big Beechy and Middle Fork Loop

Cranberry Wilderness, Monongahela National Forest (Gauley and Marlinton-White Sulphur Ranger Districts; North Fork/Big Beechy trailhead on the Highland Scenic Highway, WV 150)

The Cranberry Wilderness, in Pocahontas and Webster counties, has more than 70 miles of maintained trail, according to the Forest Service, with several trailheads on the Highland Scenic Highway (WV 150). MyHikes calls it a black bear sanctuary.

This loop pairs a long creekside walk down the Middle Fork with a high, dry return on the Big Beechy Trail.

The hike

Great American Hikes lists the loop at 16.7 miles with 2,190 feet of gain from the North Fork trailhead, at about 4,260 feet on the Highland Scenic Highway. MyHikes gives 15.7 miles from the nearby Big Beechy parking area. The Forest Service lists the Middle Fork Trail at 9 miles.

MyHikes describes it clockwise. Walk past a kiosk on the North Fork Trail; the Big Beechy Trail turns off at 0.2 mile and is easy to miss. At about 1.4 miles, turn right on the Middle Fork Trail, which follows the stream and crosses it several times past side streams including Hammond Run, Slick Rock Run, and Sheets Gordon Run. The Laurelly Branch Trail comes in at about 7.8 miles. At about 9.5 miles, the Big Beechy Trail meets the Middle Fork where Beechy Run joins, and the Middle Fork Trail continues 2.6 miles to the Three Forks trailhead on Forest Road 86.

The return climbs Big Beechy, steeply at first: MyHikes calls the first 2.4 miles rocky and narrow, with drop-offs and stinging nettles, then follows the ridge past several knobs and the District Line Trail junction to the high point on Sugar Creek Mountain, about 4,520 feet. Watch for a sharp right where an overgrown, abandoned section of the North-South Trail goes left, then rejoin the North Fork Trail near the start.

Great American Hikes goes counterclockwise, starting on Big Beechy and descending to Beechy Run. It warns about blowdowns and deadfall from about mile 5.7 and calls the Middle Fork “notoriously muddy” year-round. MyHikes reviewers have reported more than 100 downed trees (2017) and flood damage in 2016.

Great American Hikes also describes a 20-mile North-South loop that shares part of the Middle Fork. For more trails off the Highland Scenic Highway, see the Tea Creek and Gauley Mountain loop.

Tips

Climb Big Beechy rather than descend it if you want the safer direction, per MyHikes reviewers.
Fill up on the Middle Fork. There’s no water on Big Beechy.
Bring water shoes and poles for spring fords, as Great American Hikes suggests.
Wear long pants for nettles and thorny overgrowth.
Download a map. Trails aren’t blazed and can wander from mapped locations.
Hang food or use a bear canister.

Camping

No permit is required; registration at the trailhead is voluntary. Groups larger than 10 are prohibited. The Forest Service asks you to camp at least 200 feet from roads, streams, and trails, discourages campfires (use an existing site and dead, down wood if you build one), and says to treat water by boiling for at least three minutes or with a filter rated for Giardia, noting chemical treatment isn’t considered effective. Food storage order 09-21-12-04 requires a bear-resistant container or a hang at least 10 feet up and 4 feet out from the tree.

Inside Intel: Great American Hikes counts about 13 sites with stone fire pits and singles out waterfall sites near Beechy Run: one at about 7.3 miles counterclockwise on the far side of Beechy Run, with room for three tents, and another at about 9.2 miles. MyHikes reviewers Paul and Mike (both 2015) camped at the Beechy Run confluence by a waterfall and pool, and Dave (2019) recommended the Laurelly Branch junction for its solitude.

Trail facts

Distance: 16.7 miles (Great American Hikes); 15.7 miles (MyHikes stats)
Route type: Loop (North Fork, Middle Fork, Big Beechy)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Dispersed; many along the Middle Fork and Beechy Run
Water: Plentiful along the Middle Fork; none on Big Beechy
Permits: None; voluntary registration; groups of 10 or fewer
Food storage: Bear-resistant container or 10-foot hang (order 09-21-12-04)
Dogs: Allowed under control
Trailhead: North Fork/Big Beechy, Highland Scenic Highway
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Climbing Big Beechy from the Middle Fork:

MyHikes calls the first 2.4 miles of the Big Beechy Trail rocky and narrow with drop-offs, and Great American Hikes suggests poles for the Middle Fork fords. Our guide covers poles on steep ground and in fords.

See the pole tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.