Nelson Rocks is a large privately owned

rock formation A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term ''rock formation'' can also refer to specific sedimen ...

located in the North Fork Valley of

Pendleton County, West Virginia Pendleton County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,143, making it the second-least populous county in West Virginia. Its county seat is Franklin. The county was created by the ...

, United States. The area is operated under the name of NROCKS Outdoor Adventures, and was previously known as Nelson Rocks Outdoor Center (NROC).http://www.nrocks.com/history/

Description

Nelson Rocks is at the southern end of the River Knobs, which contain several other similar "razorback" ridges or "

fins A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...

" including

Seneca Rocks Seneca Rocks is a large crag and local landmark in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. The south peak is one of a small number of peaks inaccessible except by technical rock climbing techniques on the Eas ...

Champe Rocks Champe Rocks are a pair of large crags in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, USA. Easily visible from West Virginia Route 28, they are situated within the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area. They are — ...

, and Judy Rocks, all on the western flank of

North Fork Mountain North Fork Mountain is a quartzite-capped mountain ridge in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Allegheny Mountains (or "High Alleghenies" or "Potomac Highlands") of eastern West Virginia. Kile Knob, at 4,588 feet (1,398 m), is ...

. Nelson Rocks, like all of the river knobs, is bordered by the North Fork Valley on one side and the

Germany Valley Germany Valley is a scenic upland valley high in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia originally settled by German (including Pennsylvania Dutch) farmers in the mid-18th century. It is today a part of the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks ...

on the other. Located less than five miles from the highest point in West Virginia, and surrounded on three sides by the

Monongahela National Forest The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally managed land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Regi ...

, the mountainous site features two parallel rock fins made of tuscarora sandstone that rise from the mountain overlooking Nelson Gap. A hanging footbridge 150 feet in length and 200 feet in height spans the corridor between the rock fins.Multiple sources, including the website for NROCKS itself, instead give the length and height of the footbridge as 200 feet and 150 feet, respectively. Visitors can participate in various

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

activities including

rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically a ...

Via Ferrata A via ferrata ( Italian for "iron path", plural ''vie ferrate'' or in English ''via ferratas'') is a protected climbing route found in the Alps and certain other locations. The term "via ferrata" is used in most countries and languages except ...

climbing,

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

and a

canopy tour A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bot ...

consisting of 12

zip-line A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bo ...

s and other elements.

Lodging Lodging refers to the use of a short-term dwelling, usually by renting the living space or sometimes through some other arrangement. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, food, safety, shel ...

at Nelson Rocks is available in the form of

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

-style guest rooms, rustic cabins, or tent camping.

History

Rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically a ...

at Nelson Rocks dates back about as far as at nearby Seneca Rocks; however, for most of that time, this privately owned area was not officially open to the public. In 1943 and 1944, as part of the West Virginia Maneuver Area, the

10th Mountain Division The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to re ...

of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

used Seneca, Nelson and Champe Rocks to train mountain troops in assault climbing in preparation for action in the

Apennines The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. One guidebook author estimates that they left behind approximately 75,000 soft

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in fro ...

piton A piton (; also called ''pin'' or ''peg'') in climbing is a metal spike (usually steel) that is driven into a crack or seam in the climbing surface using a climbing hammer, and which acts as an anchor for protecting the climber against the ...

s, some of which can still be found on the rocks. In 1998 the area was purchased by Stuart Hammett who operated it under the name Nelson Rocks Preserve for about a decade. The area was officially open to

, and route development flourished. During the 1998-2001 seasons, the number of routes doubled reaching about 100 routes. Nelson Rocks was included in ''Rock Climbing: Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland'', a regional guidebook by Eric J. Horst. and in ''Rock 'n' Road: An Atlas of North American Rock Climbing Areas'' by Tim Toula. In the next decade the number of routes reached about 200. Also at the same time

via ferrata A via ferrata ( Italian for "iron path", plural ''vie ferrate'' or in English ''via ferratas'') is a protected climbing route found in the Alps and certain other locations. The term "via ferrata" is used in most countries and languages except ...

was built., which included a 200 feet long suspension bridge 150 feet above the ground. In 2009 Nelson Rocks was purchased by John Hall, owner of Camp Horizons company and reopened as the Nelson Rocks Outdoor Center. and expended by adding new buildings and

s. In 2011, construction was completed on the North Fork Valley Canopy Tour. At the same time the area was closed to all unguided climbing. Guided climbing can be reserved through the property owner.

Guidebooks

Gallery

File:Nelson Rocks - Via Ferrata.jpg,

at Nelson

References

Notes

External links

* {{official website, http://www.nrocks.com/
Popular Mechanics: Rock Climbing the Iron WayWonderful West Virginia Magazine: I Came, I Climbed, I Conquered
Rock formations of West Virginia Ridges of West Virginia Landforms of Pendleton County, West Virginia Climbing areas of the United States Hiking trails in West Virginia Hotels in West Virginia Landmarks in West Virginia Monongahela National Forest Nature reserves in West Virginia Parks in West Virginia Protected areas of Pendleton County, West Virginia Quartzite formations Silurian geology Silurian West Virginia Via ferrata Tourist attractions in West Virginia Zip lines