West Virginia Cruising

[Purple Venom]

Hey all, wondering if there are people on here familiar with the roads in West Virginia? I'm in the early stages of planning a trip for Gateway Cobra Club to the area and have been looking at Southern W.V. Not really sure where to homebase and spoke out of for day trips and some touristy/sightseeing as well. I found this video posted by ITChief last year that is awesome and is the kind of roads we want to travel.

https://youtu.be/MN1YhEW1f4A

What time of year would be best for a weeklong trip (temperature and weather wise)? From a website I found:
The best time to visit West Virginia
Summers are hot and humid, but the temperatures rarely go above 95°F (35°C). Rainfall occurs throughout the year but reaches a peak between June and August. Spring is warm but experiences frequent rainfall. Autumn is mild in the early and middle season, and the foliage is colorful.
Overall, the period from May to October is the best time to visit West Virginia - though, keep in mind that summer is also the peak tourist season and draws large crowds. The mountain climate in the eastern region is colder than the rest of the state during peak summer, which is an excellent time for hiking and backpacking.

We typically do one of these trips every other year. Last year was Colorado.
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This year, we stayed closer to home and went to Harrison, Arkansas
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Any help is appreciated on:
Best City/town to stay
Best time of year
Best roads
And, what NOT to miss while in the area

Thanks in advance, Tim.

[Jacob McCrea]

Honestly, unless it's dirt or an interstate, just about every road in West Virginia is like the video. Virtually every road crossing the mountain range between West Virginia and Virginia should be great. Just draw two lines on a map directly south and directly east from Grafton, stay in that region of WV and you can't go wrong. Maybe take U.S. 50 east out of Grafton, run that all the way over to Virginia, and hop back and forth over the mountain ranges separating the states as you work your way south. And if there is a better stretch than U.S. 250 between Thornwood, WV and Monterey, VA, I haven't found it.

[Purple Venom]

Thanks for the info!

[Purple Venom]

Now to figure out where to stay that isn't a 3 hour drive one way to the good roads....Any suggestions?

[Jacob McCrea]

I know of three locations worth looking into:

(1) The Canaan Valley Resort at Canaan Valley State Park, south of Davis, WV, is pretty nice, having been built a few years ago. There is plenty of space for a group. There's a restaurant, a few more up over the mountain in Davis, and plenty to do in the area if someone wants to take a day off. You are close to Dolly Sods if you want to do a day hike, nearby Blackwater Falls State Park is worth checking out, and Davis, WV and Thomas, WV have some nice little coffee shops, art galleries, etc. if you are into that sort of thing. You can run down the valley and over the mountain (the eastern continental divide, if I recall) to Seneca Rocks.

(2) The lodge at the Snowshoe ski resort is, I believe, open all year. That puts you closer than Canaan is to some really good roads, but I don't think there's much there other than the resort. Downhill mountain biking there is supposed to be great, if you want to take the day off and try something just as dangerous as the car.

(3) Way down south there is The Greenbrier, but I have never been down that far and can't comment on the roads or the resort, although they can only be so bad.

Bottom line: Canaan Valley probably offers the most to do and see when not driving, Snowshoe probably is the best physical location, and The Greenbrier probably offers the nicest lodging. I suppose you could stay a night or two at each. I wouldn't rule out extending the drives over to the Harrisonburg and Staunton, VA area as well, for the reasons I mentioned above.

[Purple Venom]

Great info, thanks! I ran across the Snowshoe resort today, and was going to ask. There are restaurants, walking areas, and shopping available to keep our better halves entertained. That may be an option to stay a few days at one and finish out the trip at a different location.

Weather wise, I'm looking at July to September....thoughts?

[doc1newell]

I live near Fayetteville, WV that is close to the New River National Park. Great place for whitewater rafting, hiking,ziplining, etc. This is in Southern WV near the town of Beckley.
Since finishing my Mark 4 last year, I have been traveling these country roads and they are beautiful. I recommend June or July as the best months.
There are a number of whitewater resorts here as well as many excellent VRBOs.
I would be glad to help facilitate

[Purple Venom]

Thanks for the offer! Right now early planning trying to find best roads overall limiting our daily trips to 200 miles or less as well as have some time for activities outside cobra driving. I've looked at the following roads:
- Hwy 250 - Thornwood to Staunton
- Hwy 33 - Elkins to Harrisonburg
- Hwy 4 - Clendenin - Sutton

Currently looking at Snowshoe Resort...but open to other options as well.

Our group will be all over the age of 50, so, High adventure activities may be out, but, moderate would be ok. Historical sites? Cool small towns to visit? We always enjoy a great ice cream stop....and lunch :D

Thanks,
Tim

[doc1newell]

Being over 70 myself, high adventure is not so desirable anymore for me either. There are plenty of other attractions in my area including Stearman biplane rides over the New River Gorge, wilderness hiking trails, and small specialty resturants.
Fayetteville and Lewisburg WV have been voted "coolest small towns" in recent past. They both have interesting history as well as Thurmond, WV.
I have driven a very pleasant and rural road from Fayetteville to Marlinton and on to Snowshoe Resort (84 miles to Marlinton) and also from Fayetteville to White Sulfur Springs where the Greenbrier Resort is (66 miles). On this trip you will go through the town of Lewisburg which is worth a stop. This being an election year, our roads are in very good condition.
Google up the above sites and resorts for detailed info.

[Purple Venom]

Does anyone know if Hwy 86 between Hwy 150 near the Handley Wildlife Management Area and Hwy 20 near Donaldson is paved the whole way? Google maps doesn't show a large section of it. It runs along Williams River. Thanks in advance for your reply.

[NC Cobra]

Understand that you may have already reached a decision as to where to stay; but you might want to look into the Primland Resort. https://primland.com. Very nice property in The South West corner of the State. Has top shelf golf, shooting,wineries etc and the drive up the mountain from NC was a ton of fun in my GLC. Would have been a riot in the Cobra. Additional attractions nearby include the Dan River for rafting, the town of Mt Airey, NC which was the inspiration for the Andy Griffiths Show, and the Blue Ridge Parkway with hundreds of miles of beautiful turns. Either way I’m sure you will have a great time.

[Purple Venom]

Very nice! Yeah, I chose Summersville, W. Virginia as a starting point and spoke out from there. The challenge I always have with these trips is the parking for our tow vehicles and trailers, which, is why I ended up in Summersville. I have a few routes planned out and just learned that the highway I was asking about apparently has some flood damage to it, which, I'm sure could be fixed by August, but, my planning is now, so, for now, will bypass that road. Going to be heading to the "Back of the Dragon" on Tuesday after we arrive, it's a long day from Summersville, but, looks like fun! Thanks for the head's up, will keep in mind for future planning.