Every organization we link to: local tourism offices, the state and federal agencies that manage the land, the nonprofits and clubs that keep access open, and the universities doing the research.
The Trough
A six-mile gorge on the South Branch of the Potomac between Romney and Moorefield with no road access — reachable only by boat or by the Potomac Eagle excursion train that runs alongside it. One of the most reliable bald eagle viewing corridors in the mid-Atlantic.
Know before you go
- The Potomac Eagle train is the easy way in if you're not paddling
- A full float through the Trough is a solid day trip
- Smallmouth fishing here is excellent
What you can do here
Six miles of gorge on the South Branch with no road access, which means that once you put in, you finish the float. A full run through is a solid day trip and there is nowhere to walk out, so check flows and start early. The South Branch is classic open-boat water, and the eagle viewing comes free.
No road touches this six-mile stretch, so a boat or the Potomac Eagle excursion train are the two ways to see it. Paddling means committing to the whole gorge — plan the shuttle and the daylight accordingly. Bald eagles are reliable through here, and a kayak puts you under them quietly. April through October.
Smallmouth fishing through the Trough is excellent, and the absence of road access for six miles is much of the reason why. You either float it or ride the Potomac Eagle alongside it; a full float is a day's commitment. WVDNR licensing and regulations apply, so sort those out before the put-in.
Bald eagles are the draw, and this is one of the most reliable viewing corridors in the mid-Atlantic. Six miles of river with no road on it keeps disturbance low. The Potomac Eagle train runs the corridor if you are not paddling; from a boat, drift and watch the ridge lines. May is the broader peak for songbirds.
Local organizations
Birding across West Virginia →The Potomac Eagle train is the easy way in — no boat, no shuttle, and it runs right alongside the six road-free miles. Bald eagles are the headline and they show up reliably. Paddling the gorge covers the same corridor at water level over a full day. Bring binoculars either way.
Local organizations
Wildlife Viewing across West Virginia →Guides, gear and lodging near The Trough
Place-level placement for operators within range of this trailhead, put-in or crag.
List your business hereNearby in the Potomac Highlands
Dolly Sods Wilderness
A 17,371-acre federally designated wilderness on a plateau largely above 4,000 feet, containing wind-flagged red spruce, heath barrens, sphagnum bog and exposed rock.
Bear Rocks Preserve
The northern edge of the Dolly Sods plateau, owned by The Nature Conservancy: bare Pottsville sandstone slabs, one-sided spruce sculpted by prevailing wind, and blueberry heath dropping east into the Allegheny Front with a 3,000-foot view over the Potomac Highlands.
Spruce Knob
At 4,863 feet, the highest point in West Virginia and the high point of the entire Allegheny range.
Seneca Rocks
A 900-foot fin of near-vertical Tuscarora quartzite standing above the North Fork of the South Branch — the most recognizable rock formation in the eastern United States and the only true summit in the East that can only be reached by technical climbing.
Seneca Creek Backcountry
A network of trails below Spruce Knob following Seneca Creek through spruce and northern hardwood to a series of waterfalls, the largest around 20 feet.
Blackwater Falls State Park
A 57-foot falls where the Blackwater River drops into an eight-mile canyon, its water stained amber by hemlock and spruce tannins.
West Virginia has roughly 1.5 million acres of public land and a handful of places that carry almost all of the attention. The consequence is that a great deal of very good ground sits nearly empty, usually for one of three reasons: nobody has heard of it, the road in is gated or rough, or it is undeveloped and has nothing to advertise. Those are the places below — of them across regions.