Immediately to the east stands Rich Mountain and immediately to the west Middle Mountain with elevations over 3,700 feet. An almost continuous forest cover dominated by beech, maple, black cherry, birch and yellow poplar is broken only by grassy meadows along the Laurel Fork itself. White-tailed deer live here with wild turkeys, bobcats and beavers. A few black bears are occasionally observed, and smaller mammals and many different birds are commonly seen. You may catch native brook and brown trout in the river, but brush may make casting difficult.
Winters typically bring heavy snows and summers pleasant temperatures.
The Laurel River North and Laurel River South Trails, both five miles long, follow the river north and south from a central trailhead and seven side trails, three in the North portion and four in the South, leave the Wilderness west on Forest Service Road 14. No trails exist on the east side of the area. Click here to find out how. Copyright Rodale, Inc. 2001.