Roadtrip: Fall Hike in Coopers Rock State Forest (part I)
If you're like me, you may not have realized that West Virginia contains many premier hiking locations for the east coast.
This post was getting a little long so I've decided to split it into two - check out part two here
On top of that, West Virginia, with its rolling preserves of forest, is an excellent place to view fall foliage. I realized that I'm just a road trip away from Coopers Rock State Forest, which, in its 12000 acres, has almost 50 miles of hiking trails, as well as ski trails.
Trail map can be viewed here.
The park's trail system is made up of a multitude of smaller trails, which are linked together by connector trails, allowing you to design hikes of variable lengths.
I left my apartment early in the morning, the world still cool, dark, and sleeping. I drove 3.5 hours east and south to arrive in the empty parking lot of Coopers Rock Overlook. A short, rocky trail across a stony outcropping leads you along:
After I had appreciated Coopers Rock Overlook, I headed to the other overlook in the park - Raven Rock. You can drive and park at the trailhead, but I chose to walk the 0.8 miles along Roadside Trail (yes, it does follow the road). Maybe because of the heavy leaf litter on the ground it was a little difficult to find this trail from the parking lot. If you're having trouble, look for the small, round hut past the restrooms, and you should be able to see the trail (you will have to cross the road). Every other trail I took in this park was blazed, but roadside trail does not seem to be blazed (although it does have signs).
There are ample picnic tables around the parking lot, as well as a children's playground. There is also a restroom with running water, a gift shop, and a cafe (which I did not try), if you neglected to pack your own picnic.
Raven Rock trail is a 2.5 mile total out-and-back trail marked with red blazes. It leads you through more woodland, punctuated by small streams and the noises of scurrying chipmunks readying themselves for winter.
Eventually, you will wander out onto a large, rocky section of cliff that juts out over the gorge.
Massive power lines stare blankly at the landscape (they are directly behind me in this image). They do ruin the "nature" feeling of the place, as does the power plant towering over the river far in the distance, spewing smoke into the air. However, Raven Rock is still a beautiful place, and I highly recommend checking it out if you're in the area. Note that there is no railing, so you may want to skip this overlook if you have pets or children.
I was initially planning to take Roadside Trail up to Clay Run, and make a large loop around the park like that. However, sitting on top of Raven Rock, dark clouds rolled in and the wind picked up. I decided instead to head back to my car and have my tea while the rain poured down (yes I did have my rain jacket but it was raining hard). I ended up taking a different route, which I'll tell you about in part 2.
More after the break folks.
Trail Details:
Length: The total length of the trails on this page is about 3 miles
Best time of year: Summer - Fall (note the park access road is closed in the winter)
Difficulty: Easy
Fees: None
Things to bring: Tick repellant, water, sunscreen
Keep on lovely hikers, and don't forget to subscribe and follow me here and here! Looking for more? Check out my favorite trails.
This post was getting a little long so I've decided to split it into two - check out part two here
 |
| rock city trail |
On top of that, West Virginia, with its rolling preserves of forest, is an excellent place to view fall foliage. I realized that I'm just a road trip away from Coopers Rock State Forest, which, in its 12000 acres, has almost 50 miles of hiking trails, as well as ski trails.
Trail map can be viewed here.
The park's trail system is made up of a multitude of smaller trails, which are linked together by connector trails, allowing you to design hikes of variable lengths.
I left my apartment early in the morning, the world still cool, dark, and sleeping. I drove 3.5 hours east and south to arrive in the empty parking lot of Coopers Rock Overlook. A short, rocky trail across a stony outcropping leads you along:
 |
| Cheat River Gorge |
 |
| Coopers Rock Overlook |
After I had appreciated Coopers Rock Overlook, I headed to the other overlook in the park - Raven Rock. You can drive and park at the trailhead, but I chose to walk the 0.8 miles along Roadside Trail (yes, it does follow the road). Maybe because of the heavy leaf litter on the ground it was a little difficult to find this trail from the parking lot. If you're having trouble, look for the small, round hut past the restrooms, and you should be able to see the trail (you will have to cross the road). Every other trail I took in this park was blazed, but roadside trail does not seem to be blazed (although it does have signs).
 |
| Somewhere under all of those leaves I think is the trail |
There are ample picnic tables around the parking lot, as well as a children's playground. There is also a restroom with running water, a gift shop, and a cafe (which I did not try), if you neglected to pack your own picnic.
 |
| Walking along the road doesn't seem so bad |
Eventually, you will wander out onto a large, rocky section of cliff that juts out over the gorge.
 |
| Spoiler: It did start to rain |
 |
| Raven Rock Overlook |
More after the break folks.
Trail Details:
Length: The total length of the trails on this page is about 3 miles
Best time of year: Summer - Fall (note the park access road is closed in the winter)
Difficulty: Easy
Fees: None
Things to bring: Tick repellant, water, sunscreen
Keep on lovely hikers, and don't forget to subscribe and follow me here and here! Looking for more? Check out my favorite trails.
Comments
Post a Comment