Cathedral State Park
| Cathedral State Park | |
| West Virginia State Park National Natural Landmark | |
 Cathedral Trail | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Preston |
| Elevation | 2,579 ft (786.1 m) |
| Coordinates | 39°19′36″N 79°32′17″W / 39.32667°N 79.53806°WCoordinates: 39°19′36″N 79°32′17″W / 39.32667°N 79.53806°W |
| Highest point | 2,620 |
| Lowest point | 2,460 |
| Area | 132 acres (53.4 ha) [1] |
| Established | 1942 [2] |
| Owner | West Virginia Division of Natural Resources |
| Nearest city | Aurora, West Virginia |
  Location of Cathedral State Park in West Virginia
| |
| Website: Cathedral State Park | |
Cathedral State Park is the largest virgin timber tract remaining in West Virginia. The park features trees of up to 90 feet in height and 16 feet in circumference.[3] Located on 132 acres (53 ha)[1] about one mile (1.6 km) east of the town of Aurora and five miles west of Redhouse, Maryland, Cathedral is a mixed forest of predominantly eastern hemlock.[4] The Rhine Creek runs through the park.[3]
The United States National Park Service has designated the park as a National Natural Landmark in 1965.[5]
The park is under significant threat from the hemlock woolly adelgid, which has been detected within 20 miles (32 km) of the park.[6]
History
Mr Branson Haas, a workman for the Brookside hotel, purchased the land in 1922 and sold it to the state of West Virginia in 1942.[3] It was included in the Brookside Historic District.[7] The park was entered in the National Registry for Natural History Landmarks on October 6, 1966.[3] The Society of American Foresters recognized the park in 1983 in its National Natural Areas program.[3]
In 2004, the state's largest hemlock tree was felled by lightning.[3]
In October 2012, the park suffered extensive damage resulting from snowfall produced by Hurricane Sandy.[5]
Trails
| Trail Name | Trail Length in Feet |
|---|---|
| Cathedral Trail | 5,898 |
| Giant Hemlock Trail | 1,170 |
| Partridge Berry Trail | 2,931 |
| Trillium Trail | 668 |
| Cardinal Trail | 1,201 |
| Wood Thrush Trail | 3,274 |
| Old Oakland Road | 2,257 |
Photo gallery
An Eastern Hemlock in Cathedral State Park
Hemlock in Cathedral State Park
See also
- List of West Virginia state parks
- State park
- List of old growth forests
- List of National Natural Landmarks
- List of National Natural Landmarks in West Virginia
References
- 1 2 West Virginia State Parks Facilities Grid, accessed March 29, 2008 Archived 2008-06-26 at WebCite
- ↑ Where People and Nature Meet: A History of the West Virginia State Parks. Charleston, West Virginia: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. April 1988. ISBN 0-933126-91-3.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Cathedral State Park" (PDF). http://www.wvstateparks.com. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Retrieved 1 August 2015. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ Forests of the Appalachians Project web site, accessed July 22, 2006.
- 1 2 Cathedral State Park web site, access July 22, 2006
- ↑ "Trees last stand: Park may be last place to see uncut hemlock forest in state", Charleston Gazette, December 19, 2004, accessed July 22, 2006.
- ↑ Courtney Fint Zimmerman (July 2012). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Brookside Historic District" (PDF). State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2014-02-20.