Backbone rock trail12/31/2023 ![]() Where the left hand diversion is that is mentioned in the main post, there is a relatively good sized cairn there and from there to the summit there are numerous cairns along the way. About 0.5 miles in, there is a right hand turn in the road with orange spraypaint on a rock "HP" with an arrow showing the way. A few hundred yards into the hike, you will see a red sign pointing to the left.this is NOT the left hand turn mentioned in the main description. The cable across the logging road had been cut, but still dont recommend driving up this logging road. There is a green sign with white lettering on 219 and there are parking areas on both sides of the road. Was just up there today () as #2 of 3 for the day (PA and WV also). Mvanhorne - 6:34 pm - Hasn't voted Trail Updates Additions and Corrections Post an Addition or Correction It is right along 219 in Silver Lake, WV. If you're going to go all the way out here to climb this mountain then you should stop and see the self proclaimed smallest church in the lower 48. Because you will be at a higher elevation on the mountain, it will be colder and windier than at either of these cities. Mountain ConditionsĬheck the weather at Elkins, WV or Cumberland, MD to get an idea of what conditions will be like. There are a total of 15 waterfalls in the park. There are many campsites, and many hiking trails. The land on the West Virginia side is national forest, but the summit and its immediate surrounding area are owned by a coal company which allows access but not camping.įor nice camping areas, I would recommend checking out Blackwater Falls State Park,about 10 miles south into the state of West Virginia. If there is much snow in the winter, snowshoes might be handy. This mountain can be climbed any time of the year. Be sure to stay on the trail, do not litter or camp, and respect the landowner's rights so that we can continue to enjoy access to this mountain. The summit and the area closeby is on private property owned by a coal company. A bigs thanks to mvanhorne for 10-16-2011 update to trail/signage conditions. ![]() There is also a picnic table where you can rest after this not-so-strenuous 1 mile, 700 vertical foot climb. Some of the trees to the east have been cut so that you have a decent view to the east. There is a sign commemorating this highpoint. The two paths converge back together very shortly and shortly thereafter, you find yourself at the summit of Maryland's highest mountain. Follow this well-cairned path a short distance where it temporarily divides, the right path being grassy, and the left path being rocky. After around 3/4 of a mile on the logging road, a footpath junctions to the left of the logging road. A few hundred yards into the hike, you will see a red sign pointing to the left-this is NOT the correct left-hand turn. Once you reach the trailhead as described in the "Getting There" section, follow the logging road for about 20 minutes, always noting that you follow the the orange blazes on trees. That notwithstanding, it is a nice easy hike with a fairly decent view at the top. Most people who climb it are state highpointers. ![]() There is another location by the same name near Fort Ritner, Indiana, east of Bedford.Backbone Mountain is the highest mountain in the state of Maryland. ![]() Rose Island, an amusement park popular during the 1920s that was destroyed by the 1937 Flood, stood on this rugged peninsula, at the base of the ridge on a level area.Ĭharlestown State Park hiking trails do not provide access to the Backbone, but a loop around the old Rose Island site passes below the ridge. The Backbone is believed to have been formed by the processes of glaciation where a combination of ice sheet advances, meltwater flows and a diversion of the Ohio River left an isolated bedrock ridge remaining between two valleys. According to local legend, on this bedrock ridge once stood a stone fortress that was built by Welsh explorers led by Prince Madoc sometime in the 12th century. Stone fortification and mounds at the Devil's Backbone rock formationĭevil's Backbone is a rock formation and peninsula formed by the flow of Fourteen Mile Creek into the Ohio River, and is currently situated in Charlestown State Park near Charlestown, Indiana and across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. ![]()
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