Cathedral State Park
Encyclopedia
Cathedral State Park is the largest virgin timber
tract remaining in West Virginia
. Located on 132 acres (53.4 ha) about one mile (1.6 km) east of the town of Aurora
, Cathedral is a mixed forest of predominantly eastern hemlock
.
The United States National Park Service has designated the park as a National Natural Landmark
in 1965.
The park is under significant threat from the hemlock woolly adelgid
, which has been detected within 20 miles (32.2 km) of the park.
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
tract remaining in 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...
. Located on 132 acres (53.4 ha) about one mile (1.6 km) east of the town of Aurora
Aurora, West Virginia
Aurora is an unincorporated census-designated place in Preston County, West Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 201. Aurora was originally a German settlement. The town was originally called Salem and later Mount Carmel...
, Cathedral is a mixed forest of predominantly eastern hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
.
The United States National Park Service has designated the park as a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
in 1965.
The park is under significant threat from the hemlock woolly adelgid
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Hemlock woolly adelgid , commonly abbreviated as HWA, is a true bug native to East Asia that feeds by sucking sap from hemlock trees . In eastern North America, it is a destructive pest that poses a major threat to the eastern hemlock and the Carolina hemlock...
, which has been detected within 20 miles (32.2 km) of the park.
See also
- List of West Virginia state parks
- State parkState parkState parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state 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 beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
- List of old growth forests
- List of National Natural Landmarks
- List of National Natural Landmarks in West Virginia