West Virginia OutsideOutdoor recreation guide
Plan a trip

Home/Places/Coopers Rock State Forest
State Forest · Mountaineer Country

Coopers Rock State Forest

A 12,747-acre state forest above the Cheat River Canyon. The stone overlook stands about 1,200 feet above the river and is one of the most-visited viewpoints in West Virginia. The Rock City and Roadside areas below and around the rim hold several hundred established sandstone boulder problems, the largest concentration in the state. The forest also carries a trail network used for hiking, running, mountain biking and cross-country skiing.

12,747 ac · Forest1,200 ft · Above the CheatHundreds · Boulder problems

Know before you go

  • The main overlook is a two-minute walk from parking and gets crowded
  • Rock City and Haystack hold the concentrated bouldering
  • Autumn and winter give the best friction; summer is humid and green
  • The forest is minutes from Morgantown and I-68

What you can do here

Bouldering

Sep–May

Hiking

Year-round

Mountain Biking

Mar–Nov

Trail Running

Mar–Nov

Outdoor Photography

Year-round

Cross-Country Skiing

Dec–Mar

Camping

Apr–Oct

Sport Climbing

Mar–Nov
AdvertiseThis space is available

Guides, gear and lodging near Coopers Rock State Forest

Place-level placement for operators within range of this trailhead, put-in or crag.

List your business here

Who looks after it

Adventure WV / WVU Outdoor Recreation Center University Outdoor programs, recreation, education and regional resources through West Virginia University. Visit Mountain Project — West Virginia Platform Essential route-level climbing database for the New River Gorge, Summersville Lake, Meadow River, Gauley, Seneca Rocks and other climbing areas. Visit Cheat Canyon Climbers Coalition Nonprofit Climbing access and stewardship in the Cheat Canyon region near Morgantown. Visit Allegheny Trail Nonprofit West Virginia's roughly 300-mile north–south long-distance hiking trail. Visit Mountaineer Trail Network Nonprofit Building a connected purpose-built singletrack network across north-central West Virginia. Visit Harrison Recreational Trails Nonprofit Develops hiking, biking, running, equestrian, accessible and water trails in Harrison County. Visit Visit Mountaineer Country Government Morgantown, the Cheat, Coopers Rock and the Mon River rail-trail system. Visit

Nearby in the Mountaineer Country

River · Mountaineer Country

Cheat Canyon

One of the classic big-water runs of the East: roughly 11 miles of Class IV–V through a remote gorge below Albright, with named rapids including Big Nasty, Coliseum and Pete Morgan.

11 mi canyon runClass IV–V at high water
Trail · Mountaineer Country

Mon River Rail-Trail System

About 48 miles of connected crushed-limestone rail-trail through Morgantown: the Caperton Trail along the riverfront downtown, the Mon River Trail running north to the Pennsylvania line and south toward Prickett's Fort, and the Deckers Creek Trail climbing 19 miles east to Reedsville.

48+ mi connected19 mi deckers creek trail
Trail · Mountaineer Country

Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Area

Purpose-built modern singletrack in Preston County, the anchor project of a regional effort to link northern West Virginia into a single mountain bike destination.

Growing mileagePurpose-built design
Trail · Mountaineer Country

Big Bear Lake Trail Center

A long-established private trail center in Preston County with dozens of miles of cross-country singletrack and doubletrack around a lake, plus camping.

50+ mi trailsLake on site
State Park · Mountaineer Country

Cathedral State Park

133 acres of virgin eastern hemlock, the last substantial stand of old-growth mixed forest remaining in West Virginia.

133 ac old growth90+ ft hemlock height
State Park · Mountaineer Country

Valley Falls State Park

A series of ledge drops on the Tygart Valley River near Fairmont, popular with photographers, picnickers and — at the right levels — playboaters.

1,145 ac parkLedges river drops

Almost Heaven Swings