(Part 2 Potomac Highlands: Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph and Tucker)
Grant County
Grant County was established in 1866 and was named after Ulysses S. Grant who was the 18th President of United States as well as a General in the Civil War. The county seat is Petersburg.
Hampshire County
Hampshire County was established in 1754 and was named in honor of Count Hampshire England for its very fat hogs which Thomas Fairfax found similar large hogs in the county. The county seat is Romney and this town is the oldest in West Virginia history dating back to 1762.
I spent the weekend at Capon Springs and Farms. It is like stepping back in time and reminds me of the movie Dirty Dancing. I made a separate blog post about this place which you can find here with more details on this amazing place to vacation if you are looking to get away.
Hardy County
Hardy County was established in 1786 and was named after Samuel Hardy who was a distinguished Virginian. The county seat is Moorefield. This county has a deep African American History as it was once the home of many African Americans before the Civil War. You can learn more in the Henry Louis Gates television series, African American Lives (part 2).
Pendelton County
Pendelton County was established in 1788 and was named Edmund Pendleton who was a Virginia Statesman. The county seat is Franklin.
Spruce Knob is the highest point in the state of West Virginia at 4,863 feet. It was established by an act of U.S. Congress on September 28, 1965 as the first national recreation area in a United States National Forest. If hiking isn’t your thing, you can dive the 12-miles uphill on the narrow paved road right to the top. Off the parking area is an easy ½-mile Whispering Spruce looping trail to the Lookout Tower which is a two-story structure offering views for miles. If you want to see some blueberries, huckleberries and wildflowers then take the Huckleberry Trail climbing the mountain shoulders. If you visit midsummer, you still should find this place refreshing and cool thanks to the strong winds common in the area. Keep in mind that winters can see an average of 180 inches of snow. One unique thing about Spruce Knobs is at ground level you can find remnants of a boreal forest from the last ice age that has been preserved thanks to the peak’s unique climate. There is picnic tables, grills and vault toilets as well.
Seneca Rocks is the most visited place in the area. It is a
hot spot for climbers as the south peak is only accessible by technical rock-climbing
techniques. In 1978 the visitor center
was opened thanks to a grant of $297,000 but it was damaged in a 1985 flood and
then destroyed by arson on May 26, 1992.
A new center was built in 1998 on a 5-million-dollar grant. The trail to
the top is 1.5 miles and made up of switch backs to help with the steep
incline. There is many places along the
trail with benches to help you rest on the way up. It is also very popular so don’t expect to be
alone. At the top is a very small observation platform with big views of the
area. It is at the top of a mountain
with no safety so take caution with kids.
Pocahontas County
Pocahontas County was established in 1821 and was named after the daughter of the Powhatan Chief of the Native Americans in the United States who came from Jamestown, VA. The county seat is Marlinton. This area has become a tourist town as of 2008, 30,000 non-WV residents owned vacation property here.
This is home to Pearl S. Buck who was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature on her book “The Good Earth” published in 1931. I’m personally not a fan about a story of a married man bringing home a concubine but it still made history. In 1983, Buck was honored on the 5 cent postage stamp which I was lucky enough to find. Today you can tour the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace, her childhood home which has since been turned into a museum. It is opened Memorial Day weekend to October 15 and costs between $5-$12.
Pocahontas is home to the Gesundheit! Institute which is based off of the 1998 movie Patch Adams starring Robin Williams. Dr. Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams founded the Institute as a non-profit hospital devoted to creating a communal ecovillage of 44 beds and 120 staff all living together. Between 1971 to 1983, communal homes were used as a hospital to test the idea but by 1984, they have stopped seeing patients as they work on funding to build a proper facility.
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| Snowshoe |
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| Cass Scenic Railroad |
Cass Scenic Railroad has been a favorite as a kid when we would take class trips to ride the train. Cass was built as a company town for West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company in 1901. By July 1960 the lumber business had dried up and things started shutting down. Thankfully in 1961, Cass was brought into the state park systems and by 1977 the company town was added as well. Today it is a tourist area and you can take a ride on the stem-driven locomotive on a 4.5 hour round-trip up to Bald Knob (tickets just under $100), the third highest mountain peak in WV or a 2-hour round-trip excursion to Whittaker Station (tickets under $75). The old Company Store is home to the gift shop and Shays Restaurant with Soda Fountain. You can also find the Cass Historical Theater and Historical Museum. It is open different times and hours throughout the year so make sure to check the website before visiting so you don’t miss anything. There is three old company houses up for rentals if you need a place to stay in the area while visiting which can run about $187 a night. Fun little note is a friend of mine had a part in a movie called Angel's Perch that was filmed in the area. You can watch it for free on Tubi as of the writing of this blog.
Randolph County
Randolph County was established in October 16, 1787 and was named after Edmund Jennings Randolph who was a governor of Virginia. The county seat is Elkins. Randolph is known for the 1861 Battle of Cheat Mountain as the first battle in which Robert E. Lee led troops into combat.
Two of the well-known people who lived in
this area was Lemuel Chenoweth who was a self-taught architect and covered
bridge builder in the 19th century and Wilma Lee Leary “Cooper” was
titled “First Lady of Bluegrass” by the Smithsonian Institution in 1974.
Helvetia is a tiny town settled in 1869 by Swiss and German immigrants. Today it only has 59 residents. The Hutte Restaurant serves traditional Swiss-American food. It’s a beautiful house turned into a restaurant with tables set up in different rooms or a very large patio. I sat on the covered patio and enjoyed a nice breeze.
I got the Our Own Sausage Dinner Plate which comes with seasoned pork sausage with red tomato sauce, potatoes, green beans, sauerkraut, applesauce, bread, salad and cheese plate for only $22. They only take cash so remember to bring some with you. After you eat, take a short walk across the bridge and shop at the general store before visiting the church, library and museum. This little town hosts many events throughout the year, one being Fasnacht which is German for “fasting night” but West Virginia calls it the Mardi Gras of Appalachia. With each year this gets bigger with plenty of people wanting to join in on the fun. The event happens in March and costs between $10-$30. You can enjoy fatty food while listening to Swiss and Appalachian tunes and don’t forget to bring your homemade masks to scare away Old Man Winter!
I was lucky enough to ride on The Polar Express Train Ride hosted by Mountain Rail WV and Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad when it wasn’t yet popular. I took my kid for a handful of years before it got extremely packed with people. You show up in your PJ's and board the train. At your table is some pretty cool mugs you get to take home. We take a short ride to the "North Pole" while being entertained by the chefs dancing, singing and serving cookies with hot chocolate. In the middle of the woods, the kids find Santa waiting to board the train for the ride back to the station. Santa came to each table and talked the children. It was a magical memory with my kiddo. I looked for a link but I couldn’t find if this event is still going on or not.
Tucker County
Tucker County was established in 1856 and was named after Henry St. George Tucker, Sr., who was a Judge and congressman from Williamsburg, VA. The county seat is Parsons.
Blackwater Falls State Park is known for its 62-foot Blackwater Falls. It became a National Park in 1937 and now is said to be one of the most photographed venues in the state. The park itself has 20 miles of hiking trails but to get the falls you need to take a small hike through the woods and down a lot of wooden steps.
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| Dolly Sods |
Dolly Sods is located in Grant, Randolph and Tucker counties but for this blog, I am putting it in as Tucker. This area is a backpacker’s dream. However, since COVID, it has also brought in some tourists that haven't been good for the area. There is many reports now of healthy trees being cut down for firewood as well as trash being left behind at campsites. Dolly Sods Wilderness is around 17,371 acres covered in rugged terrain ranging from 2,500 to over 4,700 feet. During the 1940’s this area was once a World War II training ground so it isn’t a surprise to find leftover potential hazards from that time period. In 1997 a work crew discovered and detonated 14 live mortar shells. There is over 47 miles of hiking trails and the views are amazing. You need a really good map of the area before you go. Wildlife can sometime play tricks on visitors and remove the trail signs so you can't really rely on them. Also keep your eye on the weather as it can change fast. I once went after a heavy rain and found myself on a trail with mud up to my knees! It is a very peaceful place to go and enjoy natures beauty.
