Seneca Rocks is located in Pendleton County, West Virginia and happens to be the only "true peak" on the East Coast and climbing mecca with 41 rock climbing routes to the top. They call it a crag which basically is a faced cliff. There are rock climbers who come from all over to climb this rock since it is one of the few on the East Coast where the allow you to climb to the very top.
We were not one of those people....we were non-climbers, viewers as we are known on the flat lands. I did rock climbing in my 20's with a buddy of mine. We took a rock climbing class at a local community college and did it for awhile romping around different mountains and rocks. I am over that, no just kidding. I wanted to go up on the bridge I saw online and then climb straight up. The only problem was that place is not on this mountain. It was on Nelson Rocks not Seneca Rocks. Needless to say, we didn't get to climb up to the bridge I saw online. Maybe next time we can. It was wet from the rain so it probably wouldn't have been a good idea right then. There is a side trail that offers the non-climbers a way to reach the top of the rocks and view the scenic valley below. The trail is 1.3 miles and ascends the north edge of the rocks to a viewing platform. It was raining off and on so we didn't take the chance. Next time, I hope we can get to the top. It should make for some great photos. I did catch two bald eagles flying around and finally one came low enough to grab a picture of him and Seneca Rocks....WOW...how great was that. Right place at the right time.
We did stop at the Seneca Rocks visitor center and talk to the park rangers, and they told us all about the place. They showed us all the paths we could climb on the mountain and there were guides who would take you or you can go yourself if you are qualified to climb. We visited an old homestead they had there too. It was the folks who originally settled there and tells of their story. It began as a single room log cabin built by Jacob Sites in 1839. The house grew as the family prospered. Sometime in the 1860’s or 70’s the house was expanded to a two-story frame building. Jacob’s original log cabin remains a part of the house today. The house was abandoned around 1950 and was later used to store hay. The Forest Service purchased the property in 1968. Seneca Rocks is a really beautiful place to stop and see.
We also stopped by the store across the street called Harper's Old Country Store. The interior of the store is much the same as in 1902 with many old features and antiques. The original board floor, the antique, metal, blocked ceiling, the original shelving and counters, and numerous antiques and memorabilia make you feel like you are stepping back in time. The architecture of the building along with the big front porch represents the vintage of middle and late 1800s.
It was a really interesting place, and we met both the owners, Joe & Carolyn Harper. Joe operates on over 4,000 acres that includes owned and rented land. He runs several hundred cattle and sheep. His wife, Carolyn runs the store now that her boys are grown.
We had a great time exploring this area and hope to be back soon for more adventures and some rock climbing at Seneca Rocks