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What I like most about bikes is that they lean, a trait I describe to nonriders as “dancing with a machine.” A motorcyclist can choose a dance associate starting from a svelte sportbike to an enormous‑boned tourer, however how properly that associate performs is determined by the standard of the dance flooring: the street.
My favourite motorbike dance flooring are clean asphalt ribbons that snake over mountains and alongside waterways, and a number of the greatest I’ve discovered wherever are West Virginia backroads. Appropriately known as the Mountain State, it’s the place the Allegheny, Blue Ridge, and Appalachian mountain ranges converge. With the very best common elevation of any state east of the Mississippi River, the roads curve over and round a rugged, various panorama. The standard of street surfaces in West Virginia is usually very good (see sidebar at finish of article). For riders who like to lean, it’s idyllic.
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As I made my approach south into West Virginia on these nice winding roads, a well-known anthem performed in my head, albeit considerably revised: Asphalt heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shanandoah River….
No disrespect to John Denver, however your humble scribe provides high billing to the West Virginia backroads. I used to be headed to Elkins, a small metropolis on the fringe of the Monongahela Nationwide Forest within the coronary heart of Randolph County the place a bunch of riders had bivouacked on the Vacation Inn Categorical. This location provided quick access to the area’s unbelievable roads and a brief stroll downtown to a number of choices for publish‑experience dinner and libations.
See all of Rider‘s West Virginia touring tales right here
Subsequent morning, I mounted my BMW R 1200 RT and joined routemeister Ed Conde for a well-planned 245‑mile loop by way of the Allegheny Highlands. In morning fog, our group rode south on U.S. Route 250, then turned north on State Route 28 at Thornwood. The street was fantastically curvy, although a low‑stress warning for my rear tire was a trigger for concern. After turning east on U.S. 33 at Judy Hole, we stopped on the Germany Valley scenic overlook, which was fogged in however had room for a number of bikes to soundly pull off the street. I found a screw within the heart of my tread, however the precise instruments – and people prepared to assist – made for a fast restore.
At Franklin, we turned north on U.S. 220. Simply previous Higher Tract, we continued north on Smoke Gap Highway. This very slim, winding two‑approach street has steady blind corners, elevation adjustments, and no heart line, with a number of curves signposted at 5 mph. In a single curvy part, we needed to get previous a farmer whose tractor was pulling a trailer with implements protruding the facet. He pulled as far over as he may, and we squeezed by and acknowledged his effort. The pavement was not as clean as most roads that day, however the adrenaline meter was pegged. Smoke Gap Highway isn’t for the faint of coronary heart.
We rejoined SR‑28 close to Cabins and wound our approach south alongside the North Fork South Department Potomac River to Seneca Rocks, the place ragged rock ridges attain skyward 900 toes. Throughout World Battle II, American troopers skilled on these cliffs, and plenty of utilized the talents they realized to scale the cliffs of Normandy on D‑Day. As of late, the rocks are fashionable with climbers and photographers.
Our experience had been largely throughout the Monongahela Nationwide Forest, and we have been again within the coronary heart of it. We rode west on U.S. 33, north on SR‑32, north on SR‑72 (Dry Fork Highway, one other winding, single‑lane gem), and east on U.S. 48, a part of the Seneca Path, to the hip little city of Thomas in Tucker County. At The Purple Fiddle, the place “Stay Music Lives,” our lunch break included a efficiency by a physician-musician who sang a few strained relationship together with his one‑eyed grandmother: “We don’t see eye‑to‑eye.”
Lunch cravings happy, we rode north by way of Silver Lake and Aurora, over to Macomber, and right down to Parsons. A rising a part of West Virginia’s vitality trade is powered by wind, and we encountered big generators spinning atop ridgelines. Later, using south on deliciously winding U.S. 219, a large‑load pilot car stopped all site visitors so a tractor‑trailer hauling an enormous windmill blade may get by way of a piece of tight turns. The spectacular rig rolled by as we waited. The lengthy blade had wheel‑vans hooked up on to it, turning the blade right into a trailer transporting itself. Because the afternoon sunshine grew hotter, we eased again to Elkins.
Out of a number of native eating places close to the lodge, I picked C. J. Maggie’s and joined different riders for supper on the bar. Later, as we socialized on the lodge’s again patio, the mayor of Elkins, Jerry Marco, paid us a go to. Hizzoner was gracious and welcoming, genuinely happy to have dozens of motorcyclists staying in his metropolis.
Within the morning, I hit the street early and solo, with extra twisties and excessive elevations being my key targets. As I pulled my bike up off the sidestand, I felt some soreness throughout my chest. Rowing the handlebars of a 630‑lb sport‑tourer at a fast tempo over lots of of miles of tight curves had proved a exercise.
Aiming the RT east alongside winding U.S. 33, I made fast progress towards Alpena, Harman, and Onego. Asphalt heaven, West Virginia repeated in my head as clean, curvy blacktop unfolded like a curler coaster. It was well worth the 600‑mile experience from my dwelling in western Massachusetts to experience these roads. And right here’s some down‑dwelling irony: The first creator of John Denver’s hit “Take Me Residence, Nation Roads” is Invoice Danoff, who revealed in an interview that the tune was impressed by his upbringing…in western Massachusetts! Danoff felt the phrase “Massachusetts” didn’t sound musical, so he wrote the tune about West Virginia.
I turned north on SR‑28 for a view of Seneca Rocks, then again south to U.S. 33 and Briery Hole Highway, the place a proper flip revealed a view of wickedly serpentine asphalt forward. Time to use these trackday classes on physique place.
Farther on, a proper onto Nationwide Forest 112 took me by way of a tunnel of timber. This street was pretty clean, appropriate for a spirited however affordable tempo. Sight distances have been brief, and on the crest of a blind rise, an oncoming automobile jogged my memory to be cautious of oncoming site visitors.
A number of switchbacks added pleasure, however it was repeated deer sightings that quickened my pulse. A doe all of the sudden appeared within the street forward, and I hit the binders. She skilled her huge ears on me after which regarded behind. Moments later, a wobbly, noticed fawn appeared at her facet. It was fascinating to see two stunning street hazards step effortlessly up a steep incline and vanish into the woods.
Turning proper onto NF 104 took me to the summit of Spruce Knob. At 4,863 toes, it’s the very best ridge within the Allegheny Mountains and the very best level in West Virginia. On this clear day, the view from Spruce Knob was spectacular.
Reversing course, I once more savored these depraved twisties descending Briery Hole Highway. My ears popped as I reached U.S. 33, now 3,000 toes beneath the summit. I finished once more at Germany Valley, this time having fun with a fog‑free view and no flat tire, then rode all the way in which to Brandywine in Pendleton County. I turned south on County Highway 21 and rode previous Sugar Grove Station, a Nationwide Safety Company communications website that reportedly intercepts all worldwide communications getting into the jap U.S. Since I wasn’t anticipating any illicit communiques that morning, I turned west to take pleasure in curvy Moyers Hole Highway.
At U.S. 220, I turned south and briefly entered Virginia (what a younger boy there known as “common Virginia”). At U.S. 250, I minimize proper and stopped in Monterey for a late lunch at Excessive’s Restaurant. This venerable eatery now holds the excellence of serving me the most effective fish sandwich I’ve ever had: rainbow trout, sourced from an area creek, fileted and grilled to perfection, and piled on a brioche bun. “Scrumptious” can’t do it justice.
As I continued north and east on U.S. 250, I rode up and down ridges and leaning by way of a succession of tight curves that had me laughing inside my helmet. And it was clear the moment I crossed the state border and entered Pocahontas County: Virginia’s street surfaces are good, however West Virginia’s are very good.
From Thornwood, the experience again to Elkins reversed the start of the day before today’s route. A enjoyable street in the wrong way was its personal enjoyable experience. Again on the lodge, I linked with different riders and walked downtown to a different native eatery, Mama Mia Pie & Pasta. Over Italian entrees and native craft beers, we in contrast notes from our day’s using.
Morning offered one other alternative to experience wonderful West Virginia asphalt, this time with my lengthy‑time using associate Steve Efthyvoulou. Temps began cool, and the day before today’s crystal blue sky was now tarnished grey with smoke from huge wildfires in Canada. We went south on U.S. 250, a now‑acquainted route out of Elkins. Turning south on SR‑28, we noticed indicators for the Inexperienced Financial institution Observatory, dwelling of the world’s largest steerable radio telescope. Astronomy nerds will wish to cease, however at this time we have been observing asphalt, laid out earlier than us in clean, banked curves.
At SR‑66 we turned west towards Snowshoe, one in every of West Virginia’s premier ski resorts. It was June, so the slopes have been inexperienced, and we stopped for lunch at Kickin’ Hen. Loaded with protein, we paralleled the Tygart Valley River on U.S. 219 north to Valley Head, the place a left onto SR‑15 set us up for a day twist fest. The street offered usually tough curves to Webster Springs, the place we picked up SR‑20 for extra unbelievable curves. Flat gentle as a result of wildfire haze softened the distinction between solar and shadow, bettering visibility on these technically difficult roads.
Close to the West Virginia State Wildlife Middle, we turned proper onto Alexander Highway. This slim, curvy two‑lane is stuffed with tight corners and elevation adjustments, all the way in which to U.S. 250, the place we turned north on a well-known route again to Elkins. One other superb day was within the books. Although I had beforehand ridden by way of West Virginia a number of occasions on the way in which to different using locations, this was my first devoted journey to experience the Mountain State – and I simply scratched the floor. Indubitably, there’s asphalt heaven on West Virginia backroads.
See all of Rider‘s touring tales right here
West Virginia Backroads Assets
Sidebar: Why are West Virginia Backroads So Good?
Randy Damron, a liaison between West Virginia’s departments of Transportation and Tourism, clued me in. Damron rides a Honda Gold Wing and a Kawasaki KLR, so he understands the motorcycling group. He defined that the improved high quality of the state’s roads lately owes a lot to “Roads to Prosperity,” a street development and upkeep initiative to help West Virginia residents, trade, and tourism.
Transportation and Tourism partnered to create 4 West Virginia Mountain Rides (with extra on the way in which) which might be in wonderful situation, have good shoulders and guardrails, and run by way of stunning surroundings. The Seneca Skyway, for instance, is a signposted 300-mile loop that features a number of roads lined on this story. Go to the West Virginia Division of Tourism web site and click on on “Highway Journeys” to study extra.
And take a look at Episode 150 of the West Virginia on the DOT podcast, the place Damron and co-host Jennifer Dooley had me on the present. Go to the West Virginia Division of Transportation web site to hear.
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