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Coopers Rock State Forest, Bruceton Mills, WV

Photo: Npatchett, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureLocal GemFree

Coopers Rock State Forest

61 County Line Dr · Bruceton Mills, WV

Why you should go…

This state forest less than 15 miles from Morgantown, reached from Interstate 68, sits above the canyon of the Cheat River. Rustic picnic shelters built by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1936 to 1942 still stand, and more than 50 miles of trails lead to spots like Raven Rock and the Henry Clay Iron Furnace, built in the 1830s. The sandstone cliffs draw climbers and boulderers, and the trails are used for cross-country skiing in winter.

  • #scenic overlook
  • #state forest
  • #hiking
  • #rock climbing
  • #cheat river gorge

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Coopers Rock State Forest, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob

    $25–$50

    Guided tours of a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian home overlooking the Youghiogheny River gorge.

    24 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Fallingwater

    $25–$50

    Tour the Frank Lloyd Wright house built partly over a waterfall on Bear Run, then walk the wooded grounds.

    24 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency

    Free

    Greene County's tourism office promoting covered bridges, trails and heritage sites in southwestern PA.

    27 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Pittsburgh Botanic Garden

    Under $25

    A young, growing botanic garden on a reclaimed coal-mining site west of downtown Pittsburgh.

    55 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Oglebay Park

    Free

    Spend a day in a city park with the Good Zoo, an 1846 mansion museum, golf courses, gardens and hiking trails above Wheeling.

    56 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Pennsylvania Great Outdoors

    Free

    Tourism bureau for five northwest/central Pennsylvania counties known for elk, forests and rivers.

    111 mi awayMore like this