On The Trail At The Seneca Rocks   Legend has it that the spectacular crags of white/gray quartzite that soar 900 feet above the flat valley of the North Fork of the Potomac River were the childhood playground of Snowbird, beautiful daughter of Seneca Indian chief Bald Eagle. To determine the warrior who would win her hand in marriage she staged a contest to see who could scale the magnificent cliff. The first documented roped ascent of the Seneca Rocks, however, didn't take place until 1935. A switchbacking 1.3-mile hard-packed trail ascends the north edge of the Seneca Rocks to a wooden viewing platform. Sure-footed dogs can climb a bit further up bare rock to notches at the very top of the rocks for views of the Allegheny Mountains to the west. The trail is a steady climb but within the means of even the novice canine hiker. To get back to the flat valley floor you will retrace your pawprints rather than try one of the nearly 400 mapped climbing routes to the rocks. The Visitor Center is located in the town of Seneca Rocks off US 33 and West Virginia Route 28. senrcks_txt.html <<Back To July 2007 Newsletter <<Go To Article Index