Cooper Rock State Forest, West Virginia
Cooper Rock State Forest is a great little place that has lots of hikes, camping, white water rafting, rock climbing, Henry Clay Furnace, extraordinary views, rocks that have incredible colors, and just an overall nice place to spend a day or a few day camping. In the winter, they have cross country ski trails.
Located just outside of Morgantown, WV. This is a popular recreation destination for Morgantown, Fairmont, and people from around the country.
The park has a trading post which has a few items that you might have forgotten, i.e. flashlights, lighter fluid, a few different can goods and other foods plus post cards, t shirts, pocket knifes, and other tourist stuff.
The grill has hamburgers, nachos, fries, and a few other things. Above school lunch but not restaurant quality. But not bad after a long walk and you don’t want to cook…It is pretty damn good.
A short walk from the parking lot, you can look down into the valley above the trees. It is like floating on a cloud with amazing walkways that take you to breath taking view of the valley below and the mountains in the distance.
The view gives you a bit of everything from above. They have two large rocks that they have a bridge over. Do not look down you might get a bit of vertigo. I did. The bridge is about three stories up if it was a building.
If your up for a short and easy hike, then go to the right as you enter this area from the trading post and there is a trail that goes through the large rocks that have all kinds of colors. It is called the Rattlesnake trail so watch for snakes but this area is so heavily traveled that snakes avoid it but it is their home so you never know.
I loved the trail through the rocks better then the overview. It was a warm day and it was so much nicer down there. It makes you feel so small as you look up at these rocks towering over you. It is like looking up at Santa Clause when you where five.
The color of the rocks is just wonderful and with each turn of a corner completely different.
The trail loops around but at the left side of the trail it can be a bit steep and you have to crawl over the rocks to get to the top. This is one of those trails you want to go right to left on. I would not want to crawl down these rocks especially if they were wet.
Brief History
Coopers Rock State Forest gets its name for a fugitive who lived in the forest for many years during the 1800s. He was a cooper and he resumed to make barrels and sold them to the local communities from his hideout in the mountains. Very little history remains about him. Only the legend.
Between 1834 and 1836, Henry Clay Iron Furnace was built, the first steam powered blast furnace in western Virginia. It was built before West Virginia split from Virginia. It employed around 200 and operated until 1847. See Henry Clay Furnace for more details.
Coopers Rock was part of the program during the Great Depression. The Civilian Conservation Corps built many of the structures that are used today. 11 of the structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
