Cranberry Wilderness · WV

Middle Fork Trail

Follows the Middle Fork of the Williams River through the northern Cranberry Wilderness, with cascading streams, small waterfalls and moss-covered spruce woods. A central leg of the classic backpacking loop.

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Today's best: trail running

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Trail: prime
Air temp
81°F
Clear
Wind
12 mph
W
Rain
90%
Last 48h: 0.00″
Trail
prime
dirt surface
Sunset
8:36 PM
91 min daylight left
Moon
Full Moon
97% illuminated

Hiking

Ideal 48–75°F

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Trail running

Ideal 42–65°F

Skip the trail running plan today.

  • 81°F airAbove trail running's comfort zone (28–78°F)
  • ThunderstormsGet off exposed ridges before they arrive
  • Trail: primeNo meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
  • 91 min of daylightYou need at least 134 min with margin. Bring a headlamp or start tomorrow.
Distance
6.16 mi
Elevation gain
1412 ft
Surface
dirt
Difficulty
hard

Coordinates

38.2981, -80.2803 — WV.

Park

Part of Cranberry Wilderness.

Tick awareness

Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.

How long is Middle Fork Trail?

Middle Fork Trail is a 6.16-mile route with 1412 feet of elevation gain — hard — significant elevation gain, technical terrain, or both; come prepared. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.

What's the trail surface like at Middle Fork Trail?

Middle Fork Trail is natural dirt singletrack — soft underfoot, holds water, slow to dry after rain. Today's mud rating, derived from recent precipitation and the surface type, is shown in the conditions panel above.

Who manages Middle Fork Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?

Middle Fork Trail is in Cranberry Wilderness, which is managed by the managing agency. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the agency. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.

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