Fork Mountain

At 4,232 feet, Fork Mountain is a summit in West Virginia. The Fork Mountain Trail covers 14.9 miles round trip (out-and-back) with about 593 feet of elevation gain — gentle grades, but the mileage is what makes it a Hard outing.

The Route

Most of the climbing comes early — the first half of the route does the bulk of the work before the grade eases.

Getting There

The trailhead is at 38.65058, -79.65565 (tap for driving directions). It's roughly 95 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. Arrive early on weekends — trailhead lots at popular peaks fill quickly, and cell service is often unreliable once you leave the highway.

When to Go

Late May through October is the main season. Snow and ice linger into spring and return early in fall at this latitude and elevation; in winter this becomes a different, more serious undertaking requiring traction devices and warm layers.

Know Before You Go

The Hard rating comes from the National Park Service difficulty formula, which weighs total distance against elevation gain. Most hikers should budget about 5.5 hours of moving time; add margin for breaks, photos and the descent. Download the GPX track from this page before you go — cell coverage is unreliable in the mountains and a saved route works offline in any GPS app. Conditions change: verify current access, closures and weather with the official land manager before you go. Trail data is sourced from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Looking to link objectives or plan a weekend? Nearby summits include Burner Mountain, Bear Mountain and Grassy Mountain — each has its own guide on this site.