gaudineer scenic area

Gaudineer Knob is a small chunk of what West Virginia once was before civilization came. On top of Cheat Mountain off Route 250 between Durbin and Huttonsville, WV. Take the forest road a couple miles and you can walk in a primeval Spruce forest at the end of a short drive to the right. There is an easy walking trail with a few hidden picnic tables and charcoal grills along the way. Stop and sit on the bench and you can see over many mountain valleys and ridge lines. Please stay on the walking trail and take care leave Gaudineer the way it was when you came. It has survived for centuries because a crafty man hid it from logging surveys and it can stand for the future to see what once covered most of West Virginia.

This rare, virgin Red Spruce forest is a glimpse at the forests of the high Allegheny mountains as they once would have looked before most red spruce trees were logged. Rare, endangered species such as the Cheat Mountain Salamander and the West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (was isolated from the northern flying squirrel species when ice sheets covering North America receded about 10,000 years ago) are hidden throughout these hills. The 50 acre tract of Red Spruce trees was saved by a surveying mistake- when two competing logging companies failed to include this area of timber on their maps! Gaudineer's Knob and the fire tower that once stood here was named in honor of a forest ranger who died risking his life to save his family.Those who appreciate the rare enchantment of a forest that looks nearly pristine and untouched as it stood hundreds of years ago, and can understand that this type of surveying accident left the forest unspoiled for future generations to enjoy, should not miss this opportunity to visit. There are miles and miles of nearby hiking and backpacking within a short drive of Gaudineer's Knob. If you are interested in traveling to this area and learning more about the stories and history of sites located near US 219, The Seneca Trail, please visit: www.Traveling219.com.

I chose this location because it was very secluded and was just what I needed! Granted the trail to the overlook is not long at all, but the view is spectacular....especially in winter! If you're driving through the area, go check it out!

A complete disappointment! The Gaudineer Scenic Area consists of a three mile unpaved, very rough road into an average heavily forested area with no views and nothing to see or do. Not developed in the least, and not "scenic" at all -- the state roads we drove to get there were far nicer and more scenic. A total waste of time.