This West Virginia State Forest Is A Mountainous Haven With Breathtaking Views And Adventurous Trails

If you're looking to be fully immersed in a mountainous wonderland with cozy cabins and charming wooden lodges, look no further than the West Virginian peaks, part of the Monongahela National Forest. One park in particular boasts hidden tranquillity, away from the main thoroughfare of the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest and the crowds of West Virginia's most visited park — the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

Lush undergrowth, adventurous trails, and the breathtaking peaks reign supreme at the Kumbrabow State Forest, just under 90 miles from West Virginia's best-kept secret: the mountain twin towns of Davis and Thomas, packed with art, history, and breweries. Known as West Virginia's highest state forest, Kumbrabow State Forest was established in the 1930s to preserve the unique flora and fauna typical to the Allegheny Highlands, including luscious red spruce, hemlock, and native wildlife such as wild turkeys, salamanders, and hundreds of butterfly and moth species.

Despite its remoteness, adventurers can still sleep overnight in comfortable lodgings dotted in and around the forest, from rustic wooden cabins to traditional, basic campsites fully immersed in the wilderness.

It's not every day you start at Potato Hole and at Meatbox. And by this, we're referring to the names of two of Kumbrabow's most popular trails. These hiking and running trails, albeit difficult, are among the best, adventure-filled paths to enjoy breathtaking mountain views. But to get to those views of Rich Mountain, you have to climb it first, so expect some exertion. Make sure you're prepared to handle altitude sickness on a hike with items like electrolytes. But you don't have to climb all the way to the top to enjoy Kumbrabow's forest and mountain views. The park has beginner-friendly trails, such as Clay Run Trail, at an elevation of only 122 meters. This 1.6-mile-long trail follows old logging sites through the forest and heads downstream, where you can admire the peaks from the foot of the mountain.

On top of easy-going hikes, the park offers a plethora of popular activities, including trout fishing (for which a license is required) in clear-water Kumbrabow Mill Creek, and geocaching, with two sites logged on the park's map. Geocaching is a very popular activity in the state, with over 5,000 sites on the West Virginia map, waiting to be discovered. Whichever activity you choose to explore the nearly 10,000 acres in this corner of the Mountain State, you'll have the unique opportunity to be surrounded by patches of old-growth forest, a vital ingredient for biodiversity and fostering wildlife native to America.

Spring, summer, and early fall are the best times to visit Kumbrabow State Forest — the campsites are open and the temperatures are still pleasant before the big winter freezes. In spring, fauna and flora reawaken after hibernation, making it ideal for keen wildlife and bird spotters to observe such phenomena as migration. But fall is an equally enchanting time to pitch your tent in Kumbrabow, as the foliage turns in early October. There are also plenty of tours happening this time of year across all West Virginia neighboring state parks, with expert guides recommending expeditions from sunrise leaf-peeping hikes to a birds of prey migration watch series.

Kumbrabow State Forest has ideal facilities if you're planning an off-grid camping trip. Here, you can swap luxury and amenity-filled cabins for rustic, equipped woodland cabins immersed in rhododendron and red spruce. And if you want to spruce up (forgive the pun) your camping experience, you can always rely on a few DIY hacks to improve your outdoor adventure, shared by fellow travelers. All the same, Kumbrabow State Park offers up to 60 RV spaces, and you can have fire pits and barbecues on site, perfect for enjoying sizzling hot meals during misty, chilly nights; that is, if you don't just want to picnic your way through the stunning trails you walk during the day.