Seneca Rocks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids West Virginia |
|
|---|---|
The North and South Peaks viewed from the west
|
|
 Location in West Virginia
|
|
| Location | Pendleton County, West Virginia |
| Nearest city | Seneca Rocks, West Virginia |
| Range | Appalachians |
| Coordinates | 38°50′05″N 79°21′58″W / 38.83472°N 79.36611°W |
| Climbing type | traditional crag |
| Height | 900 feet above stream level |
| Pitches | 4 |
| Ratings | 5.0-5.13 with most routes in 5.7-5.11 range |
| Grades | I and II |
| Rock type | Tuscarora quartzite |
| Quantity of rock | months worth (over 375 routes) |
| Development | well developed |
| Cliff aspect | east and west |
| Season | spring to fall |
| Ownership | National Forest |
| Camping | Seneca Shadows & 2 private campsites in town (all paid) |
| Classic climbs |
|
| Stars |   |
Seneca Rocks is a huge rock formation and a famous landmark. It is located in Pendleton County, West Virginia, in the Appalachian region. Its South Peak is so steep that you can only reach the top by using special rock climbing skills.
Seneca Rocks is one of West Virginia's most beautiful spots. Its sheer rock faces are a popular challenge for rock climbers. You can easily see Seneca Rocks from nearby roads. These roads include West Virginia Route 28, West Virginia Route 55, and U.S. Route 33. They all meet in the small town of Seneca Rocks. The town is named after the cliffs.
Contents
Exploring Seneca Rocks' Features
Seneca Rocks is at the northern end of the River Knobs. This area has other similar "razorback" ridges, like Judy Rocks and Nelson Rocks. Seneca Rocks stands out, rising almost 900 feet (274 meters) above the Seneca Creek. This creek joins the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River nearby.
The rocks overlook the town of Seneca Rocks. This town used to be called "Mouth of Seneca." Seneca Rocks has a North Peak and a South Peak. There is a dip or "notch" between them. A tall rock pillar called "the Gendarme" used to stand in this notch.
How Seneca Rocks Was Formed
The rocks at Seneca were created by powerful natural forces. More than 200 million years ago, a giant upward bulge formed. This bulge is called the Wills Mountain Anticline. The rock layers here were pushed up and turned on their side. This created the impressive cliffs we see today.
The main rock type is a strong, white-gray rock called Tuscarora quartzite. This rock layer is about 250 feet (76 meters) thick. It forms the exposed ridges and cliffs. This quartzite began as fine sand grains. They were laid down about 440 million years ago. This happened in a large sandbar at the edge of an ancient ocean. Over millions of years, the ocean closed. The rocks were lifted and folded. Erosion then wore away the softer rock layers. This left behind the hard, landmark outcrops of Seneca Rocks.
The History of Seneca Rocks
Evidence shows that Native Americans camped often near Seneca Creek. This was at the base of the rocks. A famous trail, the "Seneca Trail," followed the Potomac River. This allowed different tribes, like the Algonquian, Tuscarora, and Seneca, to travel for trade and war. When the Seneca Rocks Visitor Center was built, workers found signs of two old villages. One of these villages was thriving about 600 years ago. About a dozen homes were found there.
The first European visitors came to this area around 1746. The first settlers arrived about 15 years later. At that time, western Virginia (now West Virginia) was a wild frontier. A well-known writer and artist named David Hunter Strother visited the rocks around 1853. He made sketches that were later published in Harpers New Monthly Magazine in 1872.
No one knows who first climbed Seneca Rocks. Native Americans likely climbed them before Europeans arrived. But there are no written records of their climbs. In 1939, climbers Paul Bradt, Don Hubbard, and Sam Moore found an old inscription. It said "D.B. September 16, 1908." People think this was left by a surveyor named Bittenger.
The official climbing history began in 1935. Paul Bradt and Florence Perry used ropes to go down the North Peak. In the 1930s and 1940s, only a few climbers tried to climb Seneca Rocks. Most were from the Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh areas.
Military Training at Seneca Rocks
During 1943 and 1944, the U.S. Army used Seneca Rocks for training. The 10th Mountain Division trained here. They learned assault climbing skills. This prepared them for fighting in the mountains of Italy. They left behind many metal spikes called pitons. Some of these can still be found on the rocks. One climbing face is even called "The Face of a Thousand Pitons."
The Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area was created in 1965. The U.S. government bought the rocks themselves in 1969.
The first visitor center opened in 1978. A big flood damaged it in 1985. In 1987, "the Gendarme" pillar fell down. In 1992, the visitor center was destroyed by a fire. The current visitor center, called the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, opened in 1998.
Rock Climbing at Seneca Rocks
Seneca Rocks is a very popular place for rock climbing. There are 375 main climbing routes mapped out here. These routes range in difficulty from 5.0 (the easiest) to 5.13 (the hardest). Two climbing schools are located right in Seneca Rocks. They teach new and experienced climbers. Other climbing guide services also offer lessons and guided climbs.
Both the East and West faces of the North and South Peak have climbing routes. These routes can be up to 300 feet (91 meters) long. There are also routes on the Lower Slabs and the Southern Pillar. Because of how the rock was formed, there are many vertical cracks. These cracks are great for gripping and placing safety gear.
Most routes require "traditional climbing." This means the lead climber places their own safety gear as they go up. The South Peak is the tallest peak east of Devils Tower in Wyoming. You can only reach its top by using special climbing techniques.
It's important to be very careful when climbing here. Since 1971, some people have been seriously hurt or died in falls while climbing Seneca Rocks.
Legends and Stories of Seneca Rocks
A popular story about Seneca Rocks is called "The Betrothal of Snow Bird, Princess of the Seneca Indians." It was written in 1932 by Harry Malcolm Wade. Here is a short summary of the tale:
Princess Snow Bird grew up near the rocks and had climbed them many times. She suggested a contest to her father, Chief Bald Eagle. She would climb to the top of the rocks. Her suitors would follow her. The first one to take her hand at the top would become her husband. Chief Bald Eagle agreed. At the end of the climb, only one of seven suitors remained. The others had turned back or fallen. From their high spot, Snow Bird and her future husband looked out over the land. This land would one day be theirs to rule.
In real life, the Seneca people lived mainly in what is now western New York state. Any Seneca tribesmen who passed through this area were just traveling. The historical "Chief Bald Eagle" (who died in 1779) was a Lenape leader from central Pennsylvania. He was not a Seneca chief from West Virginia.
Images for kids
-
360-degree panorama from the top of the north peak of Seneca Rocks
-
Seneca Rocks viewed from the parking lot
-
View of the trail / road (Roy Gap Road) to the South Peak area in the morning
-
Climber on "Castor," east face of Seneca Rocks
-
Climber on top of "Bring on the nubiles", west face of Seneca Rocks
-
East face of Seneca Rocks
-
Vertical panorama of "Triple S" on the west face of Seneca Rocks
-
Seneca Rocks in the Fall
-
Seneca Rocks night sky, as seen from the town of Seneca Rocks, West Virginia in the Monongahela National Forest.
