Top 10 Fitness Spots Around Morgantown
It’s that time of year again to dust off the cob webs from the frosty winter months and begin to put the spring back in our step. The first day of Spring was March 20 and here in Morgantown the weather has been nice enough to get outside and start moving around.
A person can gain an estimate of 3-4 pounds per winter. Researchers blame the weight gain on several factors. These factors include the weather, less daylight which increases depression, and cravings for sweets and starches. The important thing now is to enjoy the nice weather, get outside, and begin moving. Exercising may include doing some Spring cleaning around your yard, going for a walk with your children, or enjoying some of the outdoor parks and activities in Morgantown. Below are the Top Ten 10 places in Morgantown to visit in order to get your body moving.
10. Marilla Park
Located in Sabraton, Marilla Park has a community pool, a skate boarding park, and picnic sites.
9. Coliseum Track
Come visit the home of the Mountaineer women’s volleyball team, rifle team, and women’s and men’s basketball teams. Located on Monongahela Blvd., the Coliseum opened in 1970; this facility is a multi-purpose arena which seats 14,000 spectators. A person may walk, rollerblade, or ride bicycles around the Coliseum. Three laps around the outside of the coliseum are equal to one mile.
8. Core Arboretum
The Arboretum is located near the WVU Coliseum. There are 3.5 miles of trails where a person can hike through to see all of wonderful flora and fauna native to West Virginia. The Arboretum is best known for its “Spring Ephermel” wildflowers.
7. Virgin Hemlock Trial
The Virgin Hemlock Trail is located at exit 15 off of I-68 east, turn south and follow signs. The forest is over 300 years old and has a hiking time of roughly 45 minutes. The hemlock trees located throughout this trail are the only trees left untouched on steep ground above Laurel Creek Hill, apparently too difficult for loggers to reach.
6. Dorsey Knob
The 70-acre Dorsey’s Knob Park, located adjacent to U.S. 119, is right outside of downtown Morgantown. This site is one of the highest points in Monongalia County. From “Sky Rock” peak you can see miles and miles of West Virginia landscape.
5. Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens began in 1983, located on the 82 acre of former Tibbs Run Reservoir off Tyrone Road. The 15 acre basin is home to many beautiful varieties of plant life. There are several trails that span around and through this area.
4. Chestnut Ridge Park
Chestnut Ridge Park has 16,000 acres of recreational area, 10 miles outside of Morgantown. With in the park one may hike, bike, swim, fish, rock climb, snow board, horseback, cross country ski or camp.
3. Cheat river/ Cheat Lake/ Cheat Lake Park
On Cheat Lake an individual may cool off by boating, swimming, kayaking, or jet skiing. Cheat Lake is located off of I-68 east at the Cheat Lake exit.
2. Rails to Trails
The Mon River / Caperton / Deckers Creek Rail-Trails are 48 miles long; open for walking, cycling, jogging, and cross-country skiing with a smooth surface for wheel-chair use and all types of bicycles. In Morgantown and Star City, eight miles of trail are paved, creating the perfect surface for in-line skating. The rail-trail connects three counties, Marion, Monongalia, and Preston Counties in North Central West Virginia.
The Caperton Trail has more of a city feel with neighboring city parks, restaurants, and shops. The Deckers Creek Trail is more of a challenge as it climbs at approximately a 2% grade 1,000 feet over 19 miles with rhododendron and hemlock groves, deciduous forests, into more open fields and farmlands in Preston County.
1. Coopers Rock
Coopers Rock State Forest gets its name from a legend about a fugitive who hid from the law near what is now the overlook. A cooper by trade, he resumed making barrels at his new mountain hideout, selling them to people in nearby communities. Coopers Rock State Forest is 13 miles east of Morgantown and 8 miles west of Bruceton Mills. Its 12,713 acres are bisected by Interstate 68. Bands of rock cliffs line the Cheat River Gorge and provide numerous overlooks. The centerpiece among these is the main overlook, which furnishes a panorama of the gorge and distant horizons. A maze of enormous boulders and cliffs fascinates hikers, and the trails are especially beautiful in June when the rhododendron and mountain laurel blooming. Several trails wind through forest valleys and over ridges, and there are many creeks available to hikers interested in getting a little wet. Glade Run is dammed to form a 6-acre pond that is regularly stocked with trout. The experienced hiker can hear and sometimes see various wildlife; such as hawks, owls, turkeys, fox and deer throughout the forest.
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