New Stargazer cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest offer a skyward escape in the mountains of West Virginia.
By Cat McMcue / Photo Above: At Coopers Rock State Forest, new Stargazer cabins invite guests to look up through skylights and telescopes / Courtesy of WV Department of Tourism
Almost 50 years ago, the breathtaking beauty of West Virginia’s high mountains inspired songwriter John Denver to describe the state as “almost heaven,” and the phrase stuck. Now, visitors to Coopers Rock State Forest can feel even closer to the firmament when they stay in one of the new Stargazer cabins.
Last year, the West Virginia Division of Tourism built five ultra-modern A-frame cabins, each equipped with a large skylight and a telescope that amateur astronomers will surely find impressive, with magnification up to about 240 times. The cabins are unique in the state’s park system, and in any state park in the country, as far as Superintendent Brad Atkins knows. Seven more cabins are expected to be completed this summer.
“People have raved about the telescopes. They’ll say they saw shooting stars in just five minutes of looking through them,” Atkins said. The cabins received awards from the American Institute of Architects’ West Virginia chapter for design excellence and craftsmanship.
At almost 13,000 acres, Coopers Rock is the largest state forest in West Virginia. Established in 1936, it features classic Civilian Conservation Corps log cabins and rock-and-timber shelters, as well as canyon overlooks, historical sites, 50 miles of hiking and biking trails, sandstone cliffs for climbing, cross-country ski terrain, a lake for fishing trout, and the nearby Cheat River for whitewater rafting.
The southern half of the forest is managed mostly for tourism and recreation, while the northern half is managed as a working forest, Atkins said, with timbering and hunting allowed. West Virginia University conducts studies within the latter on forest ecology and management, endangered species such as the Indiana bat and Allegheny woodrat, and other natural resources.
“We try to manage the interaction between wildlife and people to ensure that people see them in the future, too,” Atkins said.
No matter your favorite outdoor activity, Coopers Rock is sure to please everyone in your group—even those who look to the heavens.
The story above first appeared in our July/August 2026 issue.
