Nelson Rocks Via Ferrata

[drice21037]

I'm headed out to WV in a few weeks to do the Via Ferrata at Nelson Rocks (http://www.NelsonRocks.Org). My first mountain soaring flight was from North Mt about a million years ago (don't remember exactly but there were dinosaurs) and I haven't been back since. Any recommendations for camping? I found a place called Yokum's that has tent camping and a bunch of other amenities.

The people I'm going with have promised to go to Ridgely with me soon. If they do they'll break my perfect record of 0% success getting my friends to take a tandem.

[brianvh]

Yokum's is good. They have two campsites: go to the one about 100 yards down the road. It's right on a stream, good view of the rocks, and for some reason almost nobody camps there. You go in the general store to register. They will try to put you in the one right across the street (called indian princess?) with a huge pack of other losers who didn't know any better...dig in your heels and tell them you'll leave unless you're in the one down the road. It's behind a little restaurant, so is not obvious from the road.

If you're there for labor day, drop in on the mountaineers fly-in at Seneca Shadows. They go there because you can reserve, but it's not as good in my book.

[drice21037]

"huge pack of other losers"

Brian, what are you trying to say?

Thanks for the info. I'll dig in my heels.

[bustedwing2]

Brian,are you saying there's a whole bunch of pilots there? RichB

[brianvh]

the same people who fly Fairgrounds, High Point, Zirk's, etc also maintain and have their fly-ins at Seneca Rocks, flying from Spruce knob and some other launch I can't remember.

Or were you commenting that pilots are de facto losers?

[theflyingdude]

Seneca Shadows campground is much nicer than Yokum's IMO. It's about a mile south from the Rt 28/Rt33 intersection at Seneca Rocks on the west side of the road. Yokum's is a nice to place to land, though.

JR

[brianvh]

Restroom facilities and picnic tables better at Seneca Shadows, trees shadier at Yocum's. I tend towards shade trees. And the stream.

[brianvh]

Okay, to make things really clear, Seneca shadows has campsites divided by vegetation for some privacy, but the trees aren't very high and don't provide much shade, at least in the group camp area. You have to have a strategic campsite to see Seneca Rocks. Both Yocum's campsites are big grassy fields dotted with large trees, so you can get a whole campsite under a single tree. You walk out in the field at either campsite and you can see the Rocks. The campground near the intersection fills up and you don't feel like you are camping alone, but the one about 1/4 mile down the road (I said 100 yards before) doesn't fill up at all, even on labor day, so you feel like you've got your own campsite on the edge of a big tree filled field.

Facilities better at Seneca Rocks and they take reservations, natural environment better at Yocum's, and though they don't take reservations you won't need them if you go to the far campground.