Watoga State Park

Coordinates: 38°06′13″N 80°08′59″W / 38.10361°N 80.14972°W / 38.10361; -80.14972

Watoga State Park
West Virginia State Park
Watoga Lake
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Pocahontas
Elevation	2,894 ft (882.1 m)
Coordinates	38°06′13″N 80°08′59″W / 38.10361°N 80.14972°W / 38.10361; -80.14972
Area	10,100 acres (4,087.3 ha) [1]
Established	May 1934 [2]
- Watoga State Forest	January 1925 [2]
- Opened	July 1, 1937 [2]
Owner	West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
Nearest city	Marlinton, West Virginia
Location of Watoga State Park in West Virginia
Website: Watoga State Park
New Deal Resources in Watoga State Park Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location:	HC 82 (9 miles southwest of WV 39), near Marlinton, West Virginia
Area:	10,269 acres (4,156 ha)
Governing body:	State
NRHP Reference#:	10001227[3]
Added to NRHP:	February 4, 2011

Watoga State Park is the largest of West Virginia’s state parks, covering slightly over 10,100 acres (41 km²).^[1] It is located near Seebert in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.

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 Corps (CCC) and the park was first opened on July 1, 1937.^[2]

New Deal Resources in Watoga State Park Historic District

The New Deal Resources in Watoga State Park Historic District is a national historic district 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.^[4]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.^[3]

Features

• 36 cabins
• 2 campgrounds with 88 total campsites (50 with electricity)
• Restaurant and Commissary
• Swimming pool
• 11-acre (45,000 m²) fishing lake
• Hiking trails
• Brooks Memorial Arboretum
• Ann Bailey Lookout Tower
• Greenbrier River Trail

See also

West Virginia portal

• List of West Virginia state parks
• State park

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "West Virginia State Parks Facilities Grid". West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. http://www.wvstateparks.com/recreation/WVSP_facilities_grid.PDF. Retrieved 2008-06-16. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Where People and Nature Meet: A History of the West Virginia State Parks. Charleston, West Virginia: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. April 1988. ISBN 0-933126-91-3. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 2/14/11 through 2/18/11. National Park Service. 2011-02-25. http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20110225.htm. 
4. ^ Lena L. Sweeten (July 2010). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: New Deal Resources in Watoga State Park Historic District". State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/pocahontas/10001227.pdf. Retrieved 2011-09-01. 

External links

• Watoga State Park web site
• West Virginia CCC information