One of the kids’ favorite days of the summer is the day we drop them off at Camp Twin Creeks. They count down to it for weeks and always want to be there right when the gates open so they’re some of the first campers on the property. We figured it was the perfect excuse to turn drop off day into an adventure of our own.
The camp sits in Pocahontas County, and after saying our goodbyes we headed into Marlinton to grab lunch supplies before making our way onto the Highland Scenic Highway. It was one of those clear, big-sky summer days where the drive alone would’ve been worth it. We’d heard about the short hike to Red Spruce Knob, just a mile upland thought it would fit perfectly into our little road trip.
We weren’t prepared for what that mile actually felt like.
The elevation up there completely changes the landscape. Moss blankets everything. Rock outcrops push through the forest floor. Ferns grow waist high in places, and the towering red spruce makes it feel almost prehistoric. It didn’t feel like Appalachia. It felt like we’d wandered into some damp, quiet corner of another continent. And it was quiet. Genuinely, almost strangely quiet. A few birds, a squirrel here and there, and not much else. No wind through the leaves. No road noise. Just silence. We spent most of the hike without saying much, both of us taking it all in.
The view at the top is a little overgrown, so it’s not the postcard payoff you might expect. Honestly, this hike isn’t about the view. It’s about everything growing along the trail on the way there. The moss alone was soft enough that I seriously considered lying down for a nap.
From there we drove to the Big Spruce Overlook for lunch, and that’s where the real view was waiting. Right next to the overlook is the Black Mountain Fire Interpretive Trail, a short, flat boardwalk with signs explaining the area’s logging history and the devastating wildfires that swept through here in the 1930s. It’s only about a quarter mile and well worth the ten minute walk, even if you’re not much of a hiker.
We kept driving the rest of the Highland Scenic Highway until we reached the turnoff for the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center. We’ve been before, so we kept rolling, but if you haven’t stopped there, add it to your list.
From there we dropped down through Hillsboro and stopped at the Hillsboro Pub for a beer before the drive home. We’ve eaten there before and the food is always great, but this time all we really wanted was a cold beer on the patio while we talked about the day and wondered what the kids were already getting into at camp.
Good road. Great hike. Better views than we expected in a place we weren’t expecting them. We also came home with a few more trails on the list for next time, both hiking and mountain biking. It was a pretty perfect Sunday.
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