Sierra Club - West Virginia

This hike in the Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management area will be to some of the remnants of an abandoned coal mine in Berkeley County. We will mostly travel on the Tuscarora Trail and some connector trails. We will have a nice viewpoint on part of the trail, the rest of the hike will be on the rolling hills of the management area. The elevation gain for the entire hike will be about 770 ft. with a total distance of about 5 miles. Please bring a lunch or snacks, sunscreen, and insect repellent. We will meet at the small parking lot at the end of Audubon Rd. near Hedgesville, WV. This event is open to all capable of completing a 5 mile hike on rolling terrain. This event is free, donation will be accepted. Please also sign the waiver on the Sierra Club website by clicking on the Event tab and filling out the form.

We will start on the Allegheny Trail at the Friends of Cheat Campgroundnear Albright, WV. If it is accessible, we can take the Railroad Grade Trail to Jenkinsburg.Alternatively, we may park at the Mt. Nebo parking area, so we would stay on the AlleghenyTrail to climb out of the canyon. Check for details nearer the date.

This STRENUOUS hike is 8-10 miles, depending on whether the Jenkinsburg Bridge is accessible for a shuttle.

Register and sign waiver at: https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po000010UvK3IAK&mapLinkHref=https://maps.google.com/maps&daddr=Allegheny%20Trail,%20Cheat%20Canyon%20Wildlife%20Management%20Area@39.513444,-79.645386

Saturday, September 21
Guided Bird Watching Hike: Bird Nerds Outing, Snake Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
Distance/Difficulty: 3.5-mile/MODERATE
Duration: 2 hours
Description: On this 3.5-mile loop, Kyle Aldinger, PhD in Forest Resources, will lead us on a birdwalk and share his special interests in conservation of birds, insects, and native plants. September is a beautiful time of year to witness songbirds during their fall migration. Dr. Aldinger will cover identification, migration, habitat, and conservation of various bird species. Snake Hill WMA is a serene escape to nature, managed by the WV Division of Natural Resources for the primary purpose of habitat restoration and management and for hunting access. The terrain is a mix of rolling hills and rocky cliffs near the Cheat River Gorge, and we will enjoy the view from two overlooks above the river.
Bring: Sunscreen, water, a snack, insect repellant, footwear for rugged terrain. There are no bathrooms.
Meet: 9 a.m. Snake Hill WMA, large parking lot, off Snake Hill Road
Leader: Adrienne Epley Brown, adrienne_epley@yahoo.com, 702-465-9119.
Nearest town: Morgantown, WV
Cancellation: We will cancel if thunderstorms appear likely.