Wayward Mountain is a nascent residency on a remote mountainside in West Virginia, where folks are invited to slow down. rest, and make creative work at an off-grid homestead. A place for both camaraderie and solitude, this residency promotes self-directed scholarship and artistic inquiry with a DIY ethos in the deep woods.
A residency for artists, musicians, scholars, community organizers, ecological practitioners, and healers, Wayward Mountain is an off-grid family homestead on a remote mountainside in West Virginia. The house, built by artist Molly Must's parents in the 1970s, and the surrounding land are the center of this program, which offers time and space for deep work and rest in a setting that provides both community and solitude amid a lush, biodiverse landscape.
In the heart of Appalachia, our off-grid, 72-acre wooded property sits in the Yew Mountains in Pocahontas County, surrounded by undeveloped land adjacent to the Monongahela National Forest and the Cranberry Wilderness. Together, these protected lands span nearly a million acres, with Cranberry alone holding 47,000 acres of roadless backcountry — the largest wilderness area in the eastern United States. This is some of the most remote terrain on the East Coast.
This land hugs the shoulder of Hock Knob, a small peak in the local Yew Mountains. Several miles of trails of varied intensity provide access to creeks and mountain views, with further trail development is in progress (including a connection to the neighboring Yew Mountain Center trail system). Healthy forest, creeks, and diverse botanicals grace this territory.
This project is in development by artist Molly Must — who grew up on this land — with help from her family and community.
