My goal was a place atop Shavers Mountain, but not inside the Otter Creek Wilderness. When I got to the top of Shavers Mountain, I remembered that the winter was a lot further along in the mountains than in Pittsburgh. The roads were impassable, so I had to find someplace else to spend the night. And the day was getting late.
Fortunately, I found these beautiful campsites along the lovely Shavers Fork. This is the Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area, where you can camp right beside the road. It was a great relief to not have to drive back into Elkins and get a motel.
As a bonus, there is an interesting historical site very nearby: Cheat Summit Fort, a Union stronghold inside the Confederate "Old Dominion" (Virginia). General Robert E. Lee himself was defeated and routed from this site early in the war.
West Virginia formed in 1863--two years into the war. But though this fort was in Confederate territory, it never fell. There is an old cemetery site hard-by--but all the graves were relocated to a national cemetery.
Where the fort once stood, there is a raised deck from which to get a bit of a view. But be careful! A wide plank is missing from the floor, and if you're not paying attention you could get pretty badly hurt. I almost did.
