BRUCETON MILLS, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced that major improvements are coming to Coopers Rock State Forest.

During the announcement, Justice said that the improvements will include 25 new campsites, a new pedestrian bridge to the main overlook which will replace the one that was closed last month, and new a-frame cabins made specifically for stargazing. The cabins will be West Virginia’s first star gazing cabins and will be “one of the best places you can see stars on the east coast.”

(Courtesy: Gov. Justice’s office)

The new cabins will each have skylights and telescopes, making them ideal for dark-sky viewing. According to the announcement, construction will begin soon on five cabins that will be located along the top of the ravine near Raven Rock, meaning that in addition to the stars, the cabins will also have a great view of the forest scenery.

Coopers Rock will begin by building five of the cabins, but eventually, it plans to build a total of 20 of them.

(Courtesy: Gov. Justice’s office)

“There’s so much goodness going on in this state right now,” West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said during the announcement. He also said that he is proud that West Virginia has upped its investment into West Virginia’s state parks in recent years.

“You’re not much of a frog if you’re not proud of your own pond,” Justice said at the beginning of the announcement, and at the end, he said, with the recent improvements, “We’ve just become really proud of our own pond.”

The Coopers Rock improvements are a continuation of recent investments into West Virginia’s state parks and lodging, and according to the Tuesday announcement, the investments have paid off; West Virginia’s state parks revenue so far in 2023 are up by 200% since 2019, which is the best year on record.