Cathedral State Park

Cathedral State Park in Preston County, West Virginia preserves 132 acres of old-growth forest, including the state’s largest remaining tract of virgin timber. Rhine Creek runs through the park, which is especially known for towering eastern hemlocks that create the enclosed, cathedral-like atmosphere behind its name. Branson Haas bought the land in 1922 and sold it to West Virginia in 1942; it was also included in the Brookside Historic District. The park later received national recognition as a National Natural Landmark and through the Society of American Foresters’ National Natural Areas program. It has also suffered storm and lightning damage and faces continuing danger from the hemlock woolly adelgid.

West Virginia · United States