Seneca State Forest

{{Short description|State Forest Pocahontas County, West Virginia}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Seneca State Forest

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| photo = Seneca State Forest.jpg

| photo_caption = Seneca Lake

| map = USA West Virginia

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| map_caption = Location of Seneca State Forest in West Virginia

| relief = 1

| location = Pocahontas, West Virginia, United States

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| coordinates = {{coord|38|19|39|N|79|56|08|W|display=inline,title}}

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| area_acre = 11684

| area_ref = {{cite web|title=Seneca State Forest|url=http://www.senecastateforest.com/|publisher=West Virginia Division of Natural Resources|access-date=December 16, 2011}}

| elevation = {{convert|3245|ft|m|abbr=on}}

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| established = 1924{{cite web|url=http://www.wvforestry.com/senecastateforest.cfm|title=Seneca State Forest|publisher=West Virginia Division of Forestry|access-date=2008-09-12}}

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| operator = West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and West Virginia Division of Forestry

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| website = {{URL|https://wvstateparks.com/park/seneca-state-forest/}}

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{{Infobox NRHP

| name = New Deal Resources in Seneca State Forest Historic District

| embed = yes

| nrhp_type = hd

| location = Dunmore, West Virginia

| built = 1933-1938

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| added = September 4. 2018

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| refnum = 100002854{{NRISref|version=2010a}}

| nocat = yes

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Seneca State Forest is a state forest located in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Created in 1924, it is the oldest state forest in West Virginia. It is also West Virginia's second-largest state forest at {{convert|11684|acre|km2}}.

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources rents eight fully equipped pioneer cabins. As of 2013, the Thorny Mountain Fire Tower is also being renovated and will be available for overnight rentals.{{cite news|last=Steelhammer|first=Rick|title=Want to get away from it all? Rent a fire tower|url=http://www.wvgazette.com/Outdoors/201304250164|access-date=2013-04-26|newspaper=Charleston Gazette|date=2013-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426045114/http://www.wvgazette.com/Outdoors/201304250164|url-status=live|archive-date=2013-04-26}}

Public hunting and fishing are available in the forest. Visitors can boat on the {{convert|4|acre|km2|adj=on}} Seneca Lake. The forest contains a section of the Allegheny Trail and other trails and is near the Greenbrier River Trail.{{cite web|title=Things to Do|url=http://www.senecastateforest.com/recreation.html|publisher=West Virginia Division of Natural Resources|access-date=December 16, 2011}}

A Civilian Conservation Corps camp was once located near the current Seneca State Forest office. CCC-related resources in the forest were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.{{cite web |last1=Hanbury |first1=Mary Ruffin |title=New Deal Resources in Seneca State Forest Historic District |url=https://wvculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/New-deal-resources-in-senaca-state-forest-historic-district.pdf |website=West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=18 November 2024 |date=January 31, 2018}}