The southern half of the Monongahela National Forest is contained within hilly Pocahontas County , known as "the birthplace of rivers" because it holds the headwaters of the Greenbrier, Cheat, Gauley and other great West Virginia rivers. Like most of the Alleghenies, it's a mountainous, fairly inaccessible region - two roads, US-219 and Hwy-92, wind north-to-south, with a handful of minor roads twisting between them - offering outstanding outdoor recreation as well as endless scenic vistas.

Besides gorgeous scenery, Pocahontas County is also home to the state-run Cass Scenic Railroad , a restored, steam-powered logging railroad built in 1902. Running on narrow-gauge tracks, the chugging Shay locomotive carries visitors up to the top of 4842ft Bald Knob on a converted logging train (summer daily 10.50am, 1pm & 3pm, some evening dinner trains; $17, $19 weekends; tel 304/456-4300 or 1-800/CALL-WVA), starting at the old lumber-mill village of CASS , five miles west of Hwy-28 near the town of Greenbank . Cass was built by the local logging company to provide subsidized housing for its workers, thereby ensuring their faithful economic dependence; it has been preserved in its entirety as a historic park. You can wander around the eerily monotonous, white loggers' cabins, or even stay the night in one of several converted into self-service accommodation (tel 1-800/CALL-WVA; $50-100) which have room for up to ten people. A short way west of Cass, Whittaker Campground (tel 304/456-3218) offers basic camping facilities in a fine hillside setting.

Just outside of Greenbank, it's impossible to miss the gigantic white dish of the Green Bank Telescope and its smaller cousins, standing out against the mountain ridges. At sixteen million tons, the national radio astronomical telescope is the largest steerable object on the planet. The site, chosen because of the state's minimal radio interference, is open to the public, who can join free hourly tours on a shuttle bus, following an introductory lecture (June-Aug daily; May & Sept-Oct Sat & Sun 9am-4pm). Four miles north on Hwy-28 in Boyer, Ryder's restaurant (tel 304/456-4308) dishes up good home-style cooking at bargain prices.

A rigorous five-mile walk downhill from Cass leads along the tracks to the start of the bicycle-friendly Greenbrier River Trail , which follows the river and the railroad for 75 miles, coming out near Lewisburg. You can also rent a mountain bike from Elk River Touring Center (tel 304/572-3771 or 1-888/572-3771, ), fifteen miles north of Marlinton , the county seat, off US-219 in the hamlet of Slatyfork , and set off into the mountains. The company runs a shuttle service to the trailheads and organizes backcountry cycling trips and ski tours in winter, and its lovely year-round hotel ($50-75) has a hot tub and good-value restaurant. Larger cabins for groups are also available. The Pocahontas County visitor center in Marlinton (tel 304/799-4636 or 1-800/336-7009) provides maps of the local area.

Another spot well worth visiting is Cranberry Glades Botanical Area , off Hwy-39/55, five miles west of the junction with the exquisite Highland Scenic Highway (Rte-150). A half-mile boardwalk is set out around a rare patch of peat bogland; it's fun trying to identify the minute carnivorous plants that hide among the mosses and other flora. Leaflets and further information can be obtained from the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center (daily 9am-5pm; tel 304/653-4826) at the junction itself.

The other main attraction in this part of the Alleghenies is the birthplace of Pearl S. Buck , author of The Good Earth and one of only two American women - the other being Toni Morrison - to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Her home at HILLSBORO , on US-219 halfway between Marlinton and Lewisburg, is packed with memorabilia.

Pocahontas County

• Pocahontas County

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