| Cathedral State Park | |
|---|---|
 Cathedral Trail | |
  Location of Cathedral State Park in West Virginia | |
| Location | Preston, West Virginia, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°19′36″N79°32′17″W / 39.32667°N 79.53806°W /39.32667; -79.53806 |
| Area | 132 acres (53 ha)[2] |
| Elevation | 2,579 ft (786 m) |
| Established | 1942[3] |
| Governing body | West Virginia Division of Natural Resources |
| Website | wvstateparks |
Cathedral State Park is the largestvirgin timber tract remaining inWest Virginia. The park features trees of up to 90 feet in height and 16 feet in circumference.[4] Located on 132 acres (53 ha)[2] about one mile (1.6 km) east of the town ofAurora and five miles west ofRedhouse, Maryland, Cathedral is a mixed forest of predominantlyeastern hemlock.[5]Rhine Creek runs through the park.[4]
TheNational Park Service has designated the park as aNational Natural Landmark in 1965.[6]
The park is under significant threat from thehemlock woolly adelgid, which has been detected within 20 miles (32 km) of the park.[7]
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.[4] It was included in theBrookside Historic District.[8] The park was entered in the National Registry for Natural History Landmarks on October 6, 1966.[4] TheSociety of American Foresters recognized the park in 1983 in its National Natural Areas program.[4]
In 2004, the state's largest hemlock tree was felled by lightning.[4]
In October 2012, the park suffered extensive damage resulting from snowfall produced byHurricane Sandy.[6]
| Trail Name | Trail Length[4] | |
|---|---|---|
| ft | m | |
| Cathedral Trail | 5,898 | 1,798 |
| Giant Hemlock Trail | 1,170 | 360 |
| Partridge Berry Trail | 2,931 | 893 |
| Trillium Trail | 668 | 204 |
| Cardinal Trail | 1,201 | 366 |
| Wood Thrush Trail | 3,274 | 998 |
| Old Oakland Road | 2,257 | 688 |