Coopers Rock State Forest, in northern West Virginia, protects 12,747 acres of mountainous woodland along the Chestnut Ridge north of the Cheat River near Morgantown, West Virginia. For the most part, its terrain descends gradually from the summit of the ridge, at 2,200 feet above sea level, to the margins of the Cheat River and its tributaries, at 900 feet above sea level, though relief along the Cheat River is remarkably steep.
Much of the forest was first harvested in the early 1800s when iron furnaces began operating along the flanks of the ridge. One such furnace, the Henry Clay Furnace, is a historical forest attraction. In 1936, the West Virginia Conservation Commission purchased more than 12,000 acres from the Lake Lynn Lumber and Supply Co. for the forest, and, through the Civilian Conservation Corps, began to build its now-historic stonework facilities, including the Coopers Rock Overlook. In many senses, the forest operates much like a state park. Hunting and fishing are prohibited in areas near visitor facilities. Hiking, biking, rock climbing, and cross-country skiing are primary attractions.
Coopers Rock State Forest is located in Preston County and Monongalia County near Cheat Lake, West Virginia, northeast of Morgantown, West Virginia, and west of Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, in the Monongahela Valley Region in northern West Virginia.
Coopers Rock State Forest
61 County Line Drive
Bruceton Mills WV 26525
CRSF Website
Phone: 304-594-1561
Hotels near Coopers Rock State Forest:
Cheat Lake (WV) Hotels
Bruceton Mills (WV) Hotels
