West Virginia’s biggest state forest hides a canyon, old iron and 300-million-year-old rock

It’s 15 minutes from Morgantown

Coopers Rock State Forest spreads across 12,747 acres in northern West Virginia, right along the rim of the Cheat River Gorge. You can reach it in less than 15 minutes from Morgantown, just off Interstate 68.

The canyon below cuts deep through sandstone, and the forest above it is thick with hemlock, rhododendron and mountain laurel. Massive boulder fields sit along the rim.

The name alone tells a strange story, and the history runs even deeper than the gorge.

A barrel maker on the run gave it its name

The forest gets its name from a fugitive who hid near what is now the main overlook and made barrels to sell to nearby communities.

Back in the 1800s, iron furnaces ran throughout this area, fed by local ore, timber and limestone. By the early 1900s, loggers had stripped the land for telephone poles, railroad ties and shingles.

In 1936, West Virginia’s Conservation Commission bought it from a lumber company.

The Civilian Conservation Corps then built roads, trails, shelters and the main overlook between 1936 and 1942, using American chestnut wood.

Eleven of those CCC structures sit on the National Register of Historic Places.

Walk a flat path to views over the gorge

The main overlook is a big sandstone outcrop connected to the mainland by a pedestrian footbridge.

From it, you look out over the Cheat River Gorge, Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area across the river and Morgantown off to the west. A short, mostly flat path leads from the parking area to the edge.

An ADA-accessible overlook sits nearby. One thing to know: the overlook is closed right now for a bridge replacement and should reopen in July 2026.

Every other trail and amenity in the forest stays open during the work.

Raven Rock sits 1,000 feet above the river

If you want fewer people and a real hike, take the Raven Rock Trail. It runs 2.5 miles out and back to a rocky outcrop that sits about 1,000 feet above the Cheat River.

You drop through forest, pass ferns and hemlocks, then climb to the canyon rim where the gorge opens up below you. It draws a fraction of the crowd the main overlook gets, so you may have the whole view to yourself.

Wear sturdy shoes because the trail gets rocky in places.

Squeeze between boulders the size of buildings

Rock City Trail runs about one mile through a long crevasse between towering sandstone outcrops. Massive boulders line the path like buildings on a street, which is how the area got its name.

Some of these formations stand over two stories tall.

Nearby, the Rattlesnake Trail winds 0.7 miles up, down and around huge rock formations and rhododendron groves. Both trails connect near the main overlook area, so you can link them into a single loop.

A 30-foot stone pyramid from the 1830s still stands

About a mile down an easy trail from the furnace parking area, you come to the Henry Clay Iron Furnace. It looks like a stone pyramid, stands 30 feet tall, and crews built it between 1834 and 1836.

It was the first steam-powered blast furnace in Western Virginia, turning out four tons of pig iron a day. At its peak, about 200 workers lived nearby in a small community with a school, store and church.

The furnace landed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Hemlocks over 300 years old shade this trail

Along Route 73, near the edge of the forest, a short loop trail passes through a grove of old-growth hemlock trees more than 300 years old.

Most of West Virginia’s virgin timber disappeared to loggers in the early 1900s, so this stand is one of the few survivors in the state.

The trail follows a stream under the towering hemlocks, and even in summer, the shade keeps it cool. A side trail near the start leads to a small waterfall.

Climbers come for 300-million-year-old gritstone

Coopers Rock ranks among the top bouldering spots on the East Coast. The rock is Upper Connoquenessing Sandstone, a type of gritstone roughly 300 million years old.

Hundreds of documented routes range from beginner at V0 to expert at V11. The coarse texture gives you natural grips and holds.

Bolting is not allowed anywhere in the forest, though top-roping works in some areas. One rule to remember: climbing is off-limits in the main overlook area.

Fifty miles of trails connect through the forest

More than 50 miles of multi-use trails cut through the forest for hiking, biking and cross-country skiing. The Roadside Trail is flat and easy, running three miles from the forest entrance to the overlook.

The Rhododendron Trail takes you through thick groves that bloom in late June.

If you want a quick side trip, the Underlook Trail is just 0.2 miles and lets you see the overlook’s rock formations from below. Trails connect throughout, so you can combine routes into longer loops.

Cast a line, pitch a tent or grab a CCC picnic shelter

A six-acre pond on the north side of the forest is stocked with trout. Down in the canyon, the Cheat River draws kayakers, canoeists and whitewater rafters.

McCollum Campground has 25 sites with electric hookups and a shower house, and Rhododendron Campground has another 25 tent-only sites with a central bathhouse.

You can still eat lunch under the same picnic shelters the CCC built in the 1930s from American chestnut wood. They hold up just fine.

June rhododendrons and fall color light up the gorge

The forest turns in June when rhododendron and mountain laurel bloom along the trails. Come fall, the foliage runs from September through November, and the Cheat River Gorge frames the whole display.

It is one of the top leaf-peeping spots in the state. The forest stays open year-round, but the main gate closes from Dec. 31 through March 31.

You can still walk in during winter if you want the cold, quiet version of the place.

No entrance fee and just minutes off the interstate

You do not pay a dime to get in. Dogs are welcome on leash throughout the forest, and a playground near the main parking area keeps younger kids busy. A seasonal trading post near the overlook opens May through October.

Whether you have an hour to spare or a full weekend, this forest puts canyon views, Depression-era history and more than 50 miles of trails right off Interstate 68. Fill up in Morgantown and you are 15 minutes from the rim.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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