Showing posts with label WV Coopers Rock State Forest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WV Coopers Rock State Forest. Show all posts

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Coopers Rock State Forest, WV


ABOUT THE PARK:
Cooper's Rock State Forest - West Virginia State Parks

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.63693, -79.80114
Roadside parking at the Raven Rock Trail trail head.

TRAIL MAP:
Cooper's Rock State Forest - West Virginia State Parks - scroll down for individual trail descriptions and to download park map.
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HIKE DISTANCE:  6 miles

THE HIKE:
Directly across the road from the parking area ...
... the Raven Rock Trail.
It had rained for almost the entire 5 hour drive from New Jersey to West Virginia.
It stopped raining just minutes before we arrived to hike.
The sun even came out!
And as a bonus, there were just enough leaves left on the trees to provide some nice color.
After an uphill section we arrived at ...
... a power cut ...
... where the overlook is.
The Cheat River way down below.
Heading back the way we came.
Near the end of the Raven Rock Trail, not too far from where we parked, a left on the MccCollum Trail.
Through the power cut ...
... where the McCollum Trail turns right but we turned left on ...
... an unmarked woods road.
The woods road comes out at the park road where we turned left ...
... and road walked to ...
... where all of the traffic was going.
Heading to the Coopers Rock overlook which you just know is going to be crowded since people can drive there.
I snapped my pictures quickly so we could move on and get out of the crowds.
Heading towards the Rattlesnake Trail.
The Rattlesnake Trail starts out going down into a crevice ...
... and remains a pretty rugged trail the rest of the way.
A tree growing around a rock slab.
Taking a break at the end of the Rattlesnake Trail.
Heading back on the Rock City Trail.
We went left on the Eagle Trail until it looped back around ...
... then worked our way over to the park road and followed that ...
... back to the overlook parking and the Roadside Trail.
The Roadside Trail took us back to where we parked.
The post hike coma while driving another 4 hours to ...
... Brodie's first motel stay in Columbus, Ohio where it promptly started to lightning and thunder the minute I unloaded our stuff from the car.