Red Creek Campground

The sites aren’t huge or majorly spread out, but there is just something about them that makes it nice. There is SO much hiking from the campsite. My girlfriend and were able to do a 15 mile loop. There was water crossings, blue berries and gorgeous fields. It’s been years since I was here, but it held up and even surpassed my memories.

Directly across from the camp site is a .25 mile walk out to a beautiful vista. We enjoyed the sunsets and morning coffee here.

Primitive campground atop the Allegheny Front. Mostly visited by hikers looking for a base camp or a place to crash before or after a backpacking trip. Two pit toilets. There is a water pump with no handle, but there’s a reliable piped spring to left of the parking spot for site #3. Sites 2 & 3 are walk in’s. Both have lots of hammocking spots in the trees behind the sites. #3 is my favorite. Fills early on weekends.

This is a small rustic campground on the edge of the Dolly Sods wilderness. In spite of the gravel road to get here, you’ll find a lot of competition for sites during the peak season, particularly weekends. The roads close until snow and mud season have passed, so check road openings on the Monongahela National Forest website for up-to-date road status. It’s best suited to tents or small RVs/vans because it’s a narrow and bumpy road. I was here on an April weekend and there were only a few of the sites occupied, but temps were also in the 20s! A couple of them are walk-in, with parking on the loop and the site removed a short distance. There are vault toilets in the center of the loop, but bring your own water(or treatment). 

Numerous trails leave from the Forest Road and invite exploration of the backcountry on foot. I didn’t go too far, but online reports I read indicate that the trail is often muddy and wet, so plan accordingly. Rise early and drive to Bear Rocks for a beautiful sunrise. Spring brings mountain laurel and azalea. The same huckleberry bushes that will feed you in summer will delight you with color in autumn. No matter the season, the skies are dark and terrific for stargazing. Note that mountains bikes are not permitted in the wilderness. If you want to get away, this is a great place to do it.