Few People Know There Is A Little Portion Of Canada Right Here In West Virginia
Nestled deep in the mountains of Monongahela National Forest is a place called the Dolly Sods Wilderness. It is a region wholly different from the rest of West Virginia, containing fauna and flora generally found in Canada. The story of the unusual ecology at Dolly Sods is an old one. It begins about 2 million years ago.
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During the Pleistocene Epoch, a period of time occurring roughly between 2,588,000 and 11,700 years ago, glacial forces created the ecology present in the Dolly Sods Wilderness today. During that time, massive continental ice sheets drifted from the upper north, driving both fauna and flora to the Appalachian region. The movement of these sheets stripped top soil and deposited rock and boulders generally found in portions of Canada.
Amidst these forests hikers will find many species of trees, including yellow birch, red maple, eastern hemlock, black cherry and sugar maple.
Areas like Dolly Sods prove that sometimes you don’t have to travel as far as you think to experience the wilds of another land. Once in a great while, Mother Nature will bring that land to you.
What is your favorite area in Monongahela National Forest? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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