The Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia was founded in 1920 and covers 919,000 acres. Even better, 115,000 of the acres are designated Wilderness. Wilderness areas are our favorite places to backpack: fewer crowds (usually), great scenery and a limited impact by humans. No power tools are allowed in wilderness areas, all trail work is done by hand. Congress passed the 1964 Wilderness Act in order to preserve and protect certain lands “in their natural condition” and thus “secure for present and future generations the benefits of wilderness.” Little know fact wilderness areas are better protected than National Parks. Our first trip to MNF, 3 days on North Fork Mountain cemented our love of backpacking.
