When the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established by federal law in 1933, West Virginia Governor H. Guy Kump recognized the tremendous benefits this legislation could have for the Mountain State. A major provision of this act allowed for state parks and forests to be developed at federal expense, if states had suitable land. Governor Kump immediately urged the state legislature to borrow $100,000 to buy forest land suitable for CCC development. Thus, most of West Virginia's state parks and forests were purchased and developed during the Great Depression, under the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

      At that time, Kumbrabow State Forest comprised 9,474 acres of cut over and burned over land in the high mountains of southwestern Randolph County. During the 1920s, several major forest fires had burned on this area. Since the 1880s, at least three major lumber companies had cut timber from this land: the Alexander Boom and Lumber Company, Mill Creek Lumber Company, and The J. Narwick Company, which had completed its logging of this tract in 1920. Some cutting probably was also done by the Pickens Boom and Lumber Company and later the Ranwood Lumber Company, also of nearby Pickens.

      The colorful names of watercourses on topographic maps suggest activities from early logging days. They include Meatbox Run, Berkswitch Run, Potatohole Fork, Glade Run, Phillips Camp Run, and Morgan Camp Run.

      Kumbrabow State Forest was purchased on December 29, 1934, from the Midland Corporation at a cost of around one dollar per acre. The word "Kumbrabow" is a manufactured word, made up from the names of three leading Elkins citizens who fought for establishing this forest: Governor H. Guy Kump, Spates Brady, and Hubert Bowers. These men were influential in the state's purchase of this property.

      As soon as the land purchase was completed, Governor Kump requested that CCC camps be moved into this remote area to develop the forest's resources. Thus, on July 1, 1935, Camp Bowers, which would house some 200 men from Company 2594, was located at the head of Mill Creek in the vicinity of Whitman Knob. Camp Bowers had the distinction of being located at the highest elevation of any CCC camp in West Virginia and was the first of two camps that worked on Kumbrabow.

      The other was Camp Randolph, which was established on July 15, 1935, near Elkwater, at the point where the Kumbrabow State Forest road leaves U.S. Route 219. The camp site was actually bisected by Route 219. Initially, when no camp building materials arrived, men were quartered in large tents.

      Major work projects for both of these camps included fire hazard reduction, forest stand improvement, recreational developments, and wildlife surveys. In addition, corpsmen were available for fighting wildfires on other state lands, as well as federal and private lands; erecting forest fire towers; and building trails and roads to make these remote areas more accessible in case of wildfire emergencies.

      Corpsmen also were assigned the task of building a picnic area with a pavilion and a camping area, and five primitive cabins, which the state could rent to vacationers. For construction, recently-killed American chestnut trees were used, since this wood is decay resistant and remains sound for decades after being killed by the blight.

      Camp Randolph closed in October 1937, but Camp Bowers remained open until 1941 and was among the last of the CCC camps to be phased out in West Virginia.

      Kumbrabow is sometimes described as the wettest of all the state's forest areas. Many years of weather data collection at Pickens give the average annual rainfall as 69 inches. Since the forest is located at an even higher elevation than this weather station, rainfall for the forest is estimated at over 70 inches. Even in 1929, the state's driest year on record, annual rainfall at Pickens was over 35 inches more than some state weather stations receive in their wettest year.

      The high rainfall can be explained by the rapid ascent of moisture-laden prevailing southwest winds as they hit the westernmost slopes of the Alleghenies. Upon rapid rising and cooling, they quickly lose much of their moisture. The result is extremely favorable growing conditions for forest trees. Thus, some of the finest stands of hardwoods in West Virginia are located in this area. The excellent growing conditions have not only produced trees with great diameters and heights, but with extremely high wood quality.

      Originally, magnificent mixtures of red spruce and Canadian hemlock dominated the highest ridges of this forest. These were cut at an early date. Wildfires that burned in the slashings left by logging destroyed the habitat for these conifers and killed the young growth. Today, only scattered patches of red spruce remain. These are on small flats and boggy areas along the tops of the higher ridges.

      Along major streams there is a high percentage of hemlock mixed with the hardwoods. Yet, hemlock only covers a small fraction of its former area. It once dominated the bottomlands and lower slopes and even occurred in mixtures with northern hardwoods on mid-slope positions. Hemlock has little fire resistance, and those not cut in the heavy initial loggings usually died quickly from exposure or from ensuing ground fires. Only those along moist stream banks survived. Today, with better fire protection and lighter cuttings, hemlocks along streams are seeding-in and reinvading the understories on lower and mid-slope positions. They are not usurping new territory, but merely reclaiming areas they once dominated.

      By far the largest area of the forest is dominated by "northern hardwood mixtures," such as stands of sugar maple, American beech, and yellow birch. Common associates of these mixtures are black cherry, red maple, basswood, white ash, and black and yellow birch. Since Kumbrabow is a state forest, logging is permitted where mature and over-mature timber needs to be harvested. These cuttings serve as model harvests to demonstrate good forest management and modern harvesting practices to the public.

      Amid this lush forest, hunting and fishing opportunities abound and attract the largest numbers of visitors to Kumbrabow. Mill Creek, a native brook trout stream, is well known to trout enthusiasts. The high rainfall permits many streams here to maintain an adequate level throughout the summer, and the dense forest shade keeps waters from reaching high temperatures. In a project coordinated by the Division of Natural Resources and the Division of Forestry, limestone sand is being introduced into some of the streams to decrease their acidity and improve biological productivity, thus enhancing fish growth. This ongoing project has been very successful.

      For those looking for a quiet, scenic getaway, Kumbrabow's five rustic cabins are located below Cherry Knob and near a six- to eight-foot waterfall, which has a nice pool at the bottom. The cabins have been well maintained over the years and are occupied during all but the winter months. They close just after Christmas, due to the uncertainty of keeping roads open. The rustic nature of these cabins blends in well with the remote location of this forest setting.

      Popular recreation activities at the forest include bird-watching; botanical hikes to identify wildflowers, ferns, and mosses; picnicking; and camping. The trails, originally developed by the CCCs for fire control activities, are today often used by hikers and mountain bikers. There is also a playground for family outings.

      Access to Kumbrabow State Forest has improved greatly since the land was acquired. Many take U.S. Route 219 to Elkwater and turn onto county Route 16 to enter the forest. Others drive Route 15 from Webster Springs or Valley Head to Monterville, turning north on county Route 45 (Turkeybone Road). A third scenic way to enter the forest is through Helvetia and Pickens, there taking the Turkeybone Road southeast to the forest. Nature lovers who also enjoy local history may wish to visit the Swiss/German settlement at Helvetia with its colorful shops, festivals, and foods, or discover the town of Pickens' interesting ethnic and industrial past.

      Kumbrabow State Forest is an excellent example of a successful multiple-use forest. It is no wonder that this treasure of the western Alleghenies is rapidly being discovered by outdoors enthusiasts of all kinds.

      Retired West Virginia University forestry professor Dr. Kenneth L. Carvell writes frequently for Wonderful West Virginia, contributing stories about our state's history and natural wonders. His first article appeared in 1975.