Trails / West Virginia / Monongahela National Forest

Tea Creek and Gauley Mountain Loop

Tea Creek Backcountry, Monongahela National Forest (Marlinton-White Sulphur Ranger District; Highland Scenic Highway, WV 150, near Marlinton)

The Tea Creek Backcountry is a network of about 45 miles of trail along the Highland Scenic Highway near Marlinton, according to Mon Forest Towns, linking to the Williams River and the Cranberry Wilderness. It’s also popular with mountain bikers.

This loop from the Highland Scenic Highway runs along Gauley Mountain and Bear Pen Ridge, drops to Tea Creek, and climbs back up the Right Fork.

The hike

MyHikes lists the loop at 12.7 miles with about 1,630 feet of gain, from a parking area off the Highland Scenic Highway that holds 8 to 10 vehicles. Go through the gate and follow metal signs across a meadow.

At 0.3 mile, turn right on the Right Fork Connector Trail, then left on the Gauley Mountain Trail at 0.9. The Forest Service brochure lists the Gauley Mountain Trail at 5 miles, with two small footbridges on its wet first stretch. At 3.3 miles the Red Run Trail turns off, which MyHikes says shortens the loop to 7.1 miles. At 4.2, turn left on the Bear Pen Ridge Trail; MyHikes reaches the first Adirondack shelter in a small clearing at 5.9 miles.

At about 6.6 miles, join the Tea Creek Trail for roughly 1.7 miles. This is where the crossings are: MyHikes counts eight on Tea Creek plus the Right Fork, says none are easy most of the year, and notes blue diamond markers showing where to cross. The last crossing of the Right Fork, at about 8.4 miles, is the low point of the loop.

From there the Right Fork Trail switchbacks up and follows the Right Fork of Tea Creek, crossing it again near a small campsite at about 11.8 miles. Near the end you pass a pond with beaver activity, rejoin the Right Fork Connector, and return to the car.

MyHikes warns that the trails stay soggy even in dry spells and says, “Expect wet feet because your Gore-Tex boots are not going to cut it here.” Expect mountain bikers and their tracks; the MyHikes author saw no other trail users on an August Saturday. The Forest Service brochure advises seeking high ground during heavy rain because of occasional flash flooding.

For a wilderness loop just west along the same highway, see the Cranberry Wilderness Big Beechy and Middle Fork loop.

Tips

• Plan on wet feet. Bring shoes you don’t mind soaking.
• Skip the loop after heavy rain. The Tea Creek crossings have no bridges.
• Use the Red Run cutoff for a shorter overnight.
• Watch for bikes on shared trails.
• Hang food. A Forest Service food storage order applies in this district.

Camping

There’s no permit. The Forest Service brochure says camping is allowed anywhere on national forest land at least 200 feet from roads, streams, trails, and trailheads, with campfires built with extreme caution from dead and down wood, and stoves preferred. 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. Forest-wide, you can stay 14 days in a 28-day period. Treat or bring all water.

Inside Intel: MyHikes’ route author found few campsites on this loop and says the best is behind the second shelter, on the Tea Creek side, with room for three or four tents and out of sight of the Tea Creek Trail. The author says the first shelter’s clearing is too small for a tent. No other camper accounts recommending a specific site were found.

Trail facts

• Distance: 12.7 miles (MyHikes); 7.1 with the Red Run cutoff
• Route type: Loop (Right Fork Connector, Gauley Mountain, Bear Pen Ridge, Tea Creek, Right Fork)
• Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
• Campsites: Dispersed; shelters on Bear Pen Ridge and Tea Creek
• Water: Tea Creek and the Right Fork; treat it
• Permits: None
• Food storage: Bear-resistant container or 10-foot hang (order 09-21-12-04)
• Dogs: Allowed under control
• Trailhead: Highland Scenic Highway parking area (8 to 10 vehicles)
• Last verified: October 17, 2026

Where this comes from

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

• Tea Creek trail brochure and map (Forest Service, via WVU DIY Outdoors)
• U.S. Forest Service: Food Storage Restrictions order
• U.S. Forest Service: Tea Creek Campground construction alert
• U.S. Forest Service: NFS Road 86 closure order
• MyHikes: Gauley Mountain and Tea Creek hike
• Mon Forest Towns: Tea Creek Backcountry
• WV Explorer: Monongahela National Forest winter schedule (2023-24)
• Mon Forest Towns: Mon Forest Alerts

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.