Watoga State Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

located near Seebert in Pocahontas County,

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. The largest of West Virginia's state parks, it covers slightly over . Nearby parks include the

Greenbrier River Trail The Greenbrier River Trail (GRT), is a lineal state park comprising a rail trail between North Caldwell and Cass in eastern West Virginia. The GRT route and its contours were originally engineered by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, serving a ...

, which is adjacent to the park,

Beartown State Park Beartown State Park is a state park located on the eastern summit of Droop Mountain, southwest of Hillsboro, West Virginia, in northern Greenbrier County, West Virginia (with a small portion of the park also located in Pocahontas County). The ...

, and

Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park is a state park located on Droop Mountain in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The park was the site of the Battle of Droop Mountain, the last major battle of the American Civil War in the state taking plac ...

. Also immediately adjacent to the park is the 9,482-acre

Calvin Price State Forest Calvin Price State Forest is a state forest in eastern Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties, West Virginia. The forest is the newest in West Virginia's system, having been mostly purchased in 1953 from New River Lumber Company. The forest is name ...

. It is one of the darkest night skies of all of West Virginia State Parks.

History

Watoga State Park’s name comes from the Cherokee word for “starry waters.” The land that forms the nucleus of Watoga was originally acquired in January 1925, when the park was initially planned to be a state forest. In May 1934, a decision was made to instead develop the site as a state park. Much of the development on the site was done by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

(CCC) and the park was first opened on July 1, 1937. Development of the park stopped during WWII, but after the war, work on the park resumed, and the first camping area opened in 1953, and eight deluxe cabins opened in 1956. Recreational use of the park increased during the 60s and 70s, requiring the addition of another camping area. Today, the park is supported by the Watoga State Park Foundation which promotes the recreation, conservation, ecology, history, and natural resources of the park.

New Deal Resources in Watoga State Park Historic District

The New Deal Resources in Watoga State Park Historic District is a national

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

encompassing 59 contributing buildings, 35 contributing structures, 2 contributing sites, and 11 contributing objects. They include water fountains; trails; a swimming pool; a reservoir; rental cabins; and picnic shelters; as well as a former CCC camp. The park is the site of the Fred E. Brooks Memorial Arboretum, a 400-acre arboretum that encompasses the drainage of Two Mile Run. Named in honor of Fred E. Brooks, a noted West Virginia naturalist who died in 1933, the Arboretum's construction began about 1935 and a dedication was held in 1938. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2010.

Features

* 34 cabins * 2 campgrounds with 88 total campsites (50 with electricity) * Swimming pool * fishing lake with boat rentals * 37.5 miles of hiking trails *

Brooks Memorial Arboretum Brooks Memorial Arboretum is an arboretum located in the 10,100 acre Watoga State Park, Hillsboro, West Virginia.

* Ann Bailey Lookout Tower *

* CCC Museum * Picnic areas

Hiking Trails

Watoga State Park has many hiking trails to choose from that vary wildly in length and difficulty. There is a wide variety of trail choices, so any level hiker will enjoy their time on the Watoga State Park trails. A small list of these trails includes * Allegheny Trail * Ann Bailey Trail * Arrowhead Trail * Bearpen Trail * Brooks Memorial Arboretum Trails * Buck and Doe Trail * Burnside Ridge Trail * Honeymoon Trail * Jesse's Cove Trail * Kennison Run Trail * Lake Trail * Monongaseneka Trail * North Boundary Trail * Pine Run Trail * T. M. Cheek Trail * Ten Acre Trail * South Burnside Trail These trails are regularly maintained by the Watoga Foundation, and you can look at a map by clickin
here.

References

External links

*
West Virginia CCC informationAn entry
by the

International Dark-Sky Association The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a United States-based non-profit organization incorporated in 1988 by founders David Crawford, a professional astronomer, and Tim Hunter, a physician/amateur astronomer. The mission of the IDA is " ...