Named after Johann Dahle, a German settler who settled near the area in the 19th century, following his service as a Hessian soldier alongside the British, and the "sods", open fields on mountainsides used for grazing, the Wilderness was a notable center of logging in West Virginia. Leveraging the unique tree composition of the remote wilderness, the lumberjacks liberally exploited its supply of spruce, hemlock, and black cherry trees for decades, leading to wholesale desertification and destruction of the ecosystem by the early 20th century. The collapse of the ecosystem was a natural resort, with the logging stopping only when the last tree was felled in 1920. The desertified region was later used by the Army as a maneuver area for practicing artillery and mortar operations, as well as combat maneuvers. It wasn't until the end of the war that major conservation efforts were undertaken.[1]
By 2077, these conservation efforts have lasted well over a century and returned large parts of the area to its original splendor, or as near as was possible. The Wilderness became a major attraction for tourists and hikers, leading to the expansion of infrastructure to accommodate them. In stark contrast with the rest of Appalachia, this did not take the form of wanton destruction, but rather careful expansion with lodges and lookout points that had a minor environmental footprint.
Points of interest[]
The wilderness area spans a creek that bisects it into the lodge complex on the northern side (which includes two lodges and the Dolly Sods Lookout), and the Dolly Sods Campground to the south.