Cook Forest State Park
Stand inside an old-growth forest cathedral of soaring pines above the Clarion River.
Artwork inspired by Andrew Wyeth
Cook Forest's defining experience is vertical: the Forest Cathedral preserves old-growth white pines and hemlocks of extraordinary height. A small hiker becomes a scale marker beneath the trunks. The protected area is a National Natural Landmark, and its trail network deserves more than a quick roadside photograph. Walk slowly enough to notice the change from younger forest to the darker, older stand.
The Clarion River adds a second landscape, with paddling and picnic possibilities across a much larger park. For a focused first visit, pair a Forest Cathedral walk with a river stop or Seneca Point overlook. The park's trail guide marks grades carefully; some Cathedral paths are steep and rocky. Download a map before you lose reliable cell service.
- Old growth
- Forest Cathedral
- River
- Clarion
- Accessible option
- Paved sensory trail
Quick guide
- Look upward
- The old-growth white pines are the Forest Cathedral's defining scale.
- Choose a route
- Check the trail guide before committing to steep Cathedral connectors.
Know before you go
- Look upward
- The old-growth white pines are the Forest Cathedral's defining scale.
- Choose a route
- Check the trail guide before committing to steep Cathedral connectors.
- Add the river
- The Clarion reveals the park's broader landscape beyond the trees.
- Keep a map
- Signal can fail in the forest; save a route offline.
Good to know
Do not assume every Cathedral trail is easy; some short connectors are steep and rocky.
Notice these
- Walk beneath ancient pines
- Choose a route
- Paved sensory trail