Trails / West Virginia / Monongahela National Forest

Dolly Sods Red Creek, Rocky Point, and Lions Head Loop

Dolly Sods Wilderness, Monongahela National Forest (Cheat-Potomac Ranger District; Red Creek trailhead near Laneville)

The southern half of Dolly Sods drains into Red Creek, which cuts a forested valley below the open plateau. The Red Creek trailhead at Laneville, on the wilderness’s west side, is the low-elevation way in, and the Forest Service brochure lists several loops from it.

This one climbs along Red Creek, crosses under the rocky knob called Lions Head on the Rocky Point Trail, and drops back along Big Stonecoal Run.

The hike

The Forest Service brochure lists the Red Creek, Rocky Point, and Big Stonecoal loop at 8.5 miles with four fords, and rates it strenuous. Hiking Project’s directions to the trailhead run north on WV 32 from Harman, then about 5 miles on Bonner Mountain Road to Laneville and about a mile farther on Laneville Road. It says to park on the left just after crossing Red Creek, about 1,000 feet before the trailhead. The Forest Service puts the trailhead behind the Laneville wildlife management cabin.

The Red Creek Trail starts on an old logging road. Hiking Project says the first section may be washed out, and you’ll pass the Little Stonecoal and Big Stonecoal trails in the first two miles or so, then the Fisher Spring Run and Rocky Point trails higher up the valley.

The Rocky Point Trail is about 2 miles of rough, uneven rock beneath Lions Head, according to Hiking Project, which says the summit can’t be seen from the trail and the southern point is the only break in the trees. The paths up to Lions Head are unmarked, with a few small cairns. MyHikes describes a 0.1-mile cairn-marked scramble from near a south-facing vista. Hiking Project says there’s no water on the Rocky Point Trail.

From the west end of Rocky Point, the Big Stonecoal Trail heads back down along Big Stonecoal Run to Red Creek, and the Red Creek Trail returns to the trailhead.

The Forks of Red Creek, where the Left Fork joins, sits about 1.4 miles up the Red Creek Trail from the Rocky Point junction by MyHikes’ mileage. MyHikes describes “numerous campsites, small waterfalls, swimming holes” there and warns it’s popular and crowded. Hike with Ryan, writing in July 2026, recommends the Red Creek and Big Stonecoal area for first-timers and says many beginners aim for The Forks.

For the open northern plateau, see the Dolly Sods North loop from Bear Rocks. The Roaring Plains West Wilderness is just southwest.

Tips

Check Red Creek’s level. Four fords and flash-flood risk make this a dry-weather loop.
Bring water shoes. MyHikes recommends river shoes for the Red Creek crossings.
Fill up before Rocky Point. There’s no water along it.
Go midweek or early if you want a site at The Forks.
Leave nothing valuable in the car, as Hiking Project advises for this trailhead.
Carry a map. Trails aren’t blazed, and signs are sparse.

Camping

No permit is needed. Groups larger than 10 are prohibited in the wilderness, camping and fires are banned within 300 feet of Forest Roads 19 and 75 except at Red Creek Campground, and the Forest Service asks campers to use existing sites, skip new fire rings, and stay 200 feet from roads and streams. Hiking Project says the Rocky Point Trail is too bouldery and steep for tents, though hammocks can work in the forest.

Inside Intel: MyHikes reviewer Kilian (2018) called The Forks “one of the nicest campsites I’ve stayed at in WV,” but another reviewer, in May 2018, estimated about fifty people camping there by mid-afternoon. Hiking Project’s circumnavigation author singles out the Red Creek-Left Fork confluence as possibly the best camping in the area and notes sites on both banks near the Fisher Spring Run crossing. For quieter spots, MyHikes reviewers mention a site on Stonecoal Run near the Dunkenbarger junction (2014) and three sites at the top of Lions Head (2014).

Trail facts

Distance: 8.5 miles (Forest Service brochure); add about 2.8 miles round trip for The Forks
Route type: Loop (Red Creek, Rocky Point, Big Stonecoal, Red Creek)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Dispersed at existing sites; heaviest use at The Forks
Water: Red Creek and Big Stonecoal Run; none on Rocky Point; treat it
Fords: Four (brochure)
Permits: None; groups of 10 or fewer
Dogs: Allowed under control
Trailhead: Red Creek trailhead, Laneville
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

Four fords on the Red Creek loop:

The Forest Service brochure lists four fords on this 8.5-mile Red Creek, Rocky Point and Big Stonecoal loop, and flash floods are a risk. Learn where to cross and when to turn back.

Read the crossing 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.