Monongahela National Forest is the main reason many travelers end up in Elkins. The forest covers a huge sweep of the Allegheny Mountains, with spruce ridges, trout streams, bogs, fire roads, and trailheads that feel far more remote than the map suggests.
Elkins is not inside the wildest part of it, but it is one of the easiest bases for the northern forest. Use town for supplies, then head out toward high-country hikes, fall colour drives, or the small mountain towns of Davis and Thomas.