Cathedral State Park · WV
Giant Hemlock Trail
Short 0.2-mile path leading beneath the park's tallest old-growth hemlocks—some roughly 90 feet tall and up to 350–500 years old—a favorite walk in this virgin forest National Natural Landmark.
Live · updated
Today
Skip the hiking plan today.
Today's best: hiking
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Skip the hiking plan today.
Trail running
Skip the trail running plan today.
Dog walking
Thunderstorms in today's forecast — dogs panic and trails become dangerous.
Score breakdown
- ✓ 73°F air — Right in hiking's ideal range
- − Thunderstorms — Get off exposed ridges before they arrive
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 0.2 mi
- Elevation gain
- 10 ft
- Difficulty
- easy
Trailhead
Coordinates
39.3269, -79.5395 — WV.
Park
Part of Cathedral State Park (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Nearby Trails
Frequently Asked
How long is Giant Hemlock Trail?
Giant Hemlock Trail is a 0.2-mile route with 10 feet of elevation gain — easy — gentle grades, generally suitable for families and beginners with normal fitness. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.
Who manages Giant Hemlock Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
Giant Hemlock Trail is in Cathedral State Park, which is managed by the managing agency. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the agency. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.