Average soil depth is about 3 feet. The Fernow Experimental Forest has a rainy and cool climate. Mean annual precipitation is about 58 inches, concentrated in the winter, spring, and summer months. Mean annual temperature is about 48 degrees Fahrenheit, and the length of the frost-free season is about 145 days. Because of elevation, winters are more severe on the Fernow than in lower surrounding areas.
Annual snowfall is heavy.
The Fernow Experimental Forest encompasses practically the entire Elk Lick Run drainage - about 3.8 miles long and 2.3 miles across at the widest point. Elk Lick Run has seven major tributaries including Big Spring, which drains a headwater limestone formation. Headwater areas on two of these tributaries have been gaged to show how forest management influences streamflow. Most of the roads on the Fernow Experimental Forest are a part of the Monongahela National Forest road system. The main Fernow road is open for public use.