Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is located in Pocahontas County, W.Va. Read on to see what makes this place special.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is made up of Cass Scenic Railroad, the former company town of Cass, and some of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.
Cass was founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. Men from the company cut spruce and hemlock trees in the mountains for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company. The town was built as a company town.
Work started on the railroad in 1901. The railroad climbs Back Allegheny Mountain to Whitaker Station, which was the site of a logging camp for immigrants building the railroad.
The Cass operation was sold to Mower Lumber Company. The company operated it until 1960 when it shut it down because of the rapid decline of the timber industry in the region.
The equipment was sold off and another company began to scrap Cass. But then some local businessmen led by Russell Baum convinced the state Legislature that it should be a state park. It’s been one since 1963. As a park, the railroad serves as an excursion train.
Much about the town of Cass is as it was during its heyday. You can even rent these restored company houses as cottages. You’ll also find the company store and train depot.
If you go, plan to take your time and dress warm. The full trip to Bald Knob takes 4.5 hours. The overlook at Bald Knob has spectacular views from 4,700 feet. The climate at the summit is similar to that of Canada.
