A Walk Through West Virginia’s Cranberry Glades Is Like Walking On Another Planet

The best time to visit Cranberry Glades in Hillsboro, West Virginia is quite possibly any time as it is beautiful in every season. But if you want to see the unusual plants blooming, the warmer months are ideal. Also, guided tours are offered through the summer months on which you'll quickly find it is unlike any other place. Located in the Monongahela National Forest, with a magic all its own, the red landscape and exotic plant life feel a bit like you're walking on another planet. Let's take a look at the unique Cranberry Glades in West Virginia.

The Cranberry Glades Botanical Area consists of four bogs, also called "muskegs," reminiscent of the bogs up north.

The Glades are actually part of the larger Cranberry Wildlife Management Area.

A 20-mile drive will eventually lead to a turnoff on Forest Road 102, where you can find the Cranberry wilderness and the trails that precede it.

The 750-acre area has a boardwalk running through two of the bogs in an effort to leave the fragile ecology undisturbed. The National Park Service staff asks that you do not venture off the boardwalk areas, so as to preserve this precious flora for others to enjoy for years to come.

The transformed landscape, visible along the Cranberry Bog Boardwalk, is a sight to behold, and the 0.6-mile easy loop trail is one of the best ways to explore this unique property.

Walking through the woods in this wild environment creates a feeling of otherworldliness. Read more about this hike and others on the AllTrails website.

It eventually leads into a lush forest, replete with unique forms of plant life you have probably never seen before in this country.

These include many strange and exotic species of plant some of which are even carnivorous.

You'll find cranberries - of course - moss, skunk cabbage, and the two carnivorous plants: the purple pitcher plant (pictured) and the interesting sundew.

The plants in the area are the descendants of species 10,000 years old.

After the boardwalk ends, you are free to roam a bit more.

Trails are marked with wooden signs on the side of the road.

You can also turn onto Hill Creek Falls Road to view a gorgeous waterfall at Hills Creek Overlook.

No worry of getting lost here, as this road promptly dead-ends at a parking lot adjacent to the falls.

In peak times, near the end of autumn, visitors can see where the Cranberry Glades gets its name as they become vibrant red, and walking through this area becomes a surreal, almost magical experience.

You will find a moment where you can easily imagine yourself on another planet - perhaps Mars - if its red surface was comprised of grasses and bogs instead of dust.

This area is so unusual to American hikers because of a great ecological migration that took place during the Pleistocene Epoch when massive continental ice sheets deposited Canadian flora and fauna into the region.

The Glades are the southernmost part of this migration. As we wrote before, any time is a good time to visit the Cranberry Glades in WV - even decorated with snow.

For the best time to visit Cranberry Glades and other information, visit the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area web page. Have you ever been to Cranberry Glades? Feel free to comment below and tell us all about your experience.

To learn more about West Virginia's unusual places, check out this little portion of Canada right here in the Mountain State. And shop for some hiking gear on The North Face website.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/west-virginia/little-canada-wv/