Coopers Rock State Forest Overview & History
Forest Overview
Less than 15 miles from Morgantown, Coopers Rock State Forest is home to some of the most iconic views in Almost Heaven. The park features canyon overlooks, historic sites, picnic shelters, more than 50 miles of hiking and biking trails, sandstone cliffs for climbing and bouldering, and a cross-country ski terrain. Licensed hunting and fishing are permitted, and a six-acre pond filled with trout is on the north side of the forest. Spend a night under the stars in the Rhododendron Campground, with primitive tent/hammock campsites. Or embrace the modern age at the McCollum Campground. Electric hookups and a central bathhouse with showers, laundry and an outside faucet included. Wi-Fi is available for all registered campground guests.
Forest History
Coopers Rock State Forest is named for Coopers Rock, a series of sandstone cliffs above the Cheat River Gorge. Legend has it that a fugitive hid near what is now the overlook. A cooper by trade, he continued to make and sell barrels from his mountain hideout. During the 1800s, the iron industry flourished in the area that is now Coopers Rock. Today, the remains of the Henry Clay Furnace – the first steam-powered blast furnace in western Virginia – is a popular hiking and biking destination in the forest. The forest was established in 1936 when the West Virginia Conservation Commission purchased 12,863 acres from the Lake Lynn Lumber and Supply Company. Many of its structures, including the main overlook, picnic shelters and superintendent’s house, were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression. Eleven of these structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
