Watoga State Park
Encyclopedia
Watoga State Park is the largest of West Virginia’s state parks, covering slightly over 10100 acres (40.9 km²). It is located near Seebert
in Pocahontas County
, West Virginia
.
(CCC) and the park was first opened on July 1, 1937.
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
in 2010.
Seebert, West Virginia
Seebert is an unincorporated community in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. Seebert is located on the Greenbrier River east of Hillsboro....
in Pocahontas County
Pocahontas County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,131 people, 835 households, and 527 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 7,594 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
History
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 CorpsCivilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
(CCC) and the park was first opened on July 1, 1937.
New Deal Resources in Watoga State Park Historic District
The New Deal Resources in Watoga State Park Historic District is a national historic districtHistoric district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
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
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2010.
Features
- 36 cabins
- 2 campgrounds with 88 total campsites (50 with electricity)
- Restaurant and Commissary
- Swimming pool fishing lake
- Hiking trails
- Brooks Memorial ArboretumBrooks Memorial ArboretumBrooks Memorial Arboretum is an arboretum located in Watoga State Park, Hillsboro, West Virginia.The arboretum contains mature yellow poplars, Ohio buckeyes, cottonwoods, and other native species....
- Ann Bailey Lookout Tower
- Greenbrier River TrailGreenbrier River TrailThe Greenbrier River Trail is a rail trail operated by West Virginia State Parks. The trail is a long former railroad, now used for hiking, bicycling, ski-touring, horseback-riding, and wheel-chair use. The trail passes through numerous small towns and traverses 35 bridges and 2 tunnels as it...