Are you considering a wedding in one of the most beautiful wildernesses in West Virginia?
High mountains, wind carved rocks, leaning pines…
If the high mountains, wind carved rocks, leaning pines and brightly colored heather, are your style, Dolly Sods is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia. Situated in the Monongahela Nation Forest, it is a rocky, high-altitude plateau, the highest east of the Mississippi. Surrounded by wind swept views, it is one of the highest places in West Virginia. It is a stunning place for weddings, engagement photos, family portraits, proposal photographs and elopements.
Incredible views…
For those who love to be surrounded by nature, Dolly Sods is magical. Wind engraved rocks, open expanses of shrubs along tundra-like plaines containing many unusual plants which often turn bright red at the end of summer and can be found nowhere else in West Virginia. Huckleberry, azalea, cranberry and heaths stretch across the plains and create a stunning landscape for portraits. There are also areas of hardwood forests in the more southerly section of the Dolly Sods tundra. The trees in the spring look as through they are dancing in the warm spring breezes. It truly is an extraordinary place to visit, photograph or have a fairy tale wedding.
No cost to having a wedding at Dolly Sods…
If you have a tight budget for your wedding, there is no cost for a wedding at Dolly Sods. But since it is an outdoor rustic location, you will have to take special consideration for your guest’s needs. Camping and 47 miles of hiking trails make Dolly Sods the nature lover’s wedding spot.
There are a few lodging options in nearby towns as you come down in elevation and leave the forest. Lodges such as Billy Motel, Alpine Lodge and Bright Morning Inn, are possible choices in Davis, WV, as well as Canaan Valley Resort in case your guests want something roomier.
It’s always cooler in the summer.
Because it is high in elevation, weather often changes being classified as “humid continental” and much like Canada. It is always 15 degrees or more cooler there than anywhere else in West Virginia making it seem like paradise in the heat of summer. If you are planning a wedding there, check the weather and have a plan to shelter your guests. There are no shelters or bathrooms in place for wedding guests unless you bring your own large tent. Like all outdoor events, having an outdoor wedding here has risks, but the outstanding beauty of the environment can be well worth it if you love the view of the mountains. You will have portraits that you will treasure.
Beautiful location for engagement photographs.
Even if you may not desire a wedding at Dolly Sods, this special place is excellent for engagement photographs. Frankly, we at Tim Ray Photography look forward to any time we can escape there. We would love to travel there to photograph engagement, family or proposal photographs. Call us and tell us your plans!
Many scenic locations at Dolly Sods…
If you want stunning wedding photography, make sure your photographer has photographed at Dolly Sods and is familiar with the area. You don’t want to miss out by hiring someone who may not be able to capture the pristine beauty and colors of the scenery. There are many locations at Dolly Sods that are beautiful spots for a wedding. Bear Rocks Preserve with it’s wind swept pines and amazing rock formations is a stunning back drop for weddings.
If you’re interested in booking us for an engagement, proposal, family portrait, get in touch with Tim Ray Photography! We would love to hear about your plans!
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