Cathedral State Park is a 133 Acre Natural Landmark in Aurora, West Virginia.
Hike and discover the majestic Forrest of Giant Virgin Hemlock trees, moss, ferns, and rhododendrons.
A great hike for kids and dogs!
Immerse yourself and your family into the Appalachian Jungle.
Planning the Adventure…
Y’all!
Spring is finally here! The flowers, leaves, and the shrubs are coming back to life.
The cherry blossoms are out, some weeds and brush have some green tinge.
Day by day, little by little, something new pops up.
Changes to dead of Winter. Spring is colorful, warm; an exciting and refreshing new start!
Yet, it’s nothing new.
Winter happens each year, and the Spring time always comes back.
In my opinion; Spring>Fall
Spring is practically here! That budding excitement of getting back outside and spending an entire day. Like, we can do it again!
Make plans. Nature is so inviting!
Yes!
It’s time for day hikes again!
Where should we go?
“I wanna go somewhere new”.
Somewhere we’d never been. Yet, not too crazy far away.
I did a Google search. Scrolling through results within two hours of Morgantown; most we‘ve been there, done that.
A few we’ve never been to.
One park stands out; and it is in West Virginia!
And we’ve never been there before!
100% honest; I always thought it was “just a picnic area”.
Headed to Cool Springs, I’ve passed Cathedral State Park; maybe 5 or 10 times in my life. And every time; I’ve always assumed it was a picnic area/rest stop.
4.8 stars 300+ Google reviews? Maybe it’s more than a picnic area.. Let’s go find out!
While planning the trip; I looked into nearby attractions. The infamous Cool Springs is 20 minutes West. Melanie’s Restaurant is directly across the park. The food and reviews looked great.
Surrounded by mountains, vast farm lands, and the Cheat river; the drive was BEAUTIFUL! Southern Preston county is a paradise within our state.
Arriving the Destination:
Mid-March, Mid-day; 70° and partly cloudy. With our picnic lunch packed, little boy ready to play, dogs ready to run;
We have arrived to Cathedral State Park!
Plenty of ample parking. There are several picnic tables in the parking lot for a “quick-nic”.
The playground below the hill caught our eye. There’s even more picnic tables around the playground.
We ate.
Swang.
Slid down some slides.
“I’m ready to go on a hike!”, our little Mountaineer shouted out.
We began on the Wood Thrush Trail. This portion of the hike was noisy. Hearing cars while hiking is a little “loopy” for me. We crossed the highway to the other side of the Forrest.
As we got deeper into the woods; the sounds faded. The sights got better and better.
This spot was extraordinary!
A ravine of Hemlocks, sun rays glistening through. It was like, a magical fairy tale scene. A sight to see!
Extraordinary.
Some of the trail seemed unmarked. There were a few times I was wondering if we were “on the path”.
This was one of the instances.
To connect to the other side!
Crossed over the highway again. Down the hill.
We’ve found a creek!
Bring your boots! There are some muddy spots along the trail.
Onto the Partridge Trail!
Walking step by step; amazed by this Appalachian Jungle.
It is SO GREEN right now.
It’s Mid-March and the flora and fauna are bright green and sprawling! In the Summer; I’d imagine there’s even more species of plants and fungi.
to talk about Fungi!
Along the Berry Trail;
We spotted a tiny Christmas tree growing on a log!
The Giant Hemlock Trail had an eerie feel to it. Like, dark and stormy. Almost haunted. Yet very majestic and whimsical. It was like, a real life “Alice in Wonderland”.
At the “end” of these loops of trails; was something completely different. This view was gorgeous. So unexpected.
Reflect the Journey:
Cathedral State Park is unlike any other place I’ve ever hiked!
Home to some of the oldest trees in our State; this is a spot to come and marvel!
Come! Bring a picnic. Eat a sandwich. And marvel at all the rings around the large stump. (seriously, that tree had to been 400+ years old)
Cathedral is not a large wilderness with miles and miles of trails. This special spot is excellent for beginners (young and young at heart!)
Plan to spend three to four hours here. There’s so much to appreciate and the land is truly unique.
You and your family will be sure to enjoy the deep jungle of Appalachia!
For more information, history, park maps; visit the official website for Cathedral State Park
The show to my tell 📷📝
Huge shout out to Camera Photography!
ACE Mindset Journey 
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