• What to do: Located on the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District of the Monongahela National Forest, in Tucker and Randoph Counties, W.Va., Dolly Sods Scenic Area is great for hikers, ecologists and wildlife watchers. In the early 1900s, logging camps dotted Dolly Sods and most of the forest was cleared for nearby mills. The area takes its name from the Dahle family, who settled a small homestead. To clear land for grazing, they burned logged areas. The grassy fields were called "sods." In 1916, the initial tracts were added to the Monongahela National Forest. Despite being quite a way from the U.S.'s northern border, many of the ecotypes in Dolly Sods are common in Canada. Sphagnum bogs, with rare sundew and reindeer moss, can be found in the upper sections of Red Creek. Dolly Sods now has 25 miles of trails -- many follow old railroad grades and logging roads. The easiest listed as "moderate" difficulty; the hardest is listed "painful."

• Contact: 304-636-1800 or www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf/sp/dolly_sods_wilderness.htm.

-- Kate McCaffrey