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Does anybody know some places worth checking out that are near the WV Border not far from Charlottesville VA OR Luray Caverns? Basically will be on a road trip around Charlottesville & Luray Caverns area of VA & wanted to venture into West VA but really have no idea where to go.
Take US-33 west from Harrisonburg, which will take you to Spruce Knob (WV's highest point) and Seneca Rocks (a well known geologic formation). You can head south on SR 28 once you get close to Spruce knob, which will take you to SR 92 and Green Bank (National Radio Observatory/ Quiet Zone), Cass Scenic Railroad, and Snowshoe (a ski resort that offers some summer amenities). If you keep going south on SR 92, you'll also pass through National Forest lands. You can also take SR 66 past Snowshoe over to US-219. If you go south on US-219, you'll pass Cranberry Glades, which are protected bogs with trails and boardwalks. Farther south, you'll also pass through/by Marlinton (an old railroad town), the Pearl S. Buck birthplace museum (wrote The Good Earth), Droop Mtn Battlefield State Park, and Beartown State Park (unique geological formation with trails through it). Eventually, you'll end up in Lewisburg which has a decent amount of local restaurants and shops and a good amount of pre-civil war buildings to check out. From Lewisburg, you can take I-64 back towards Charlottesville.
You can also take US-250 from Staunton, which will put you in-between Spruce Knob and Cass. This route would allow you to check out Monterey VA, which is also very scenic.
You may want to also check out Sugar Grove which used to be a naval base but the entire town was sold in 2020. I'm not sure about rather you can even get into the town now but it's a neat little town in the middle of nowhere. You could go to Davis and Thomas which are old coal towns. Both have a few nice shops and restaurants including the purple fiddle, Hellbender Burrito, and Sirianni Pizza. They are about two hours from Luray caverns but beautiful scenery. You will be close to Blackwater falls which is the largest waterfall in the state. Lindy Point is a nice little hike near the falls with a great view. There are two caverns in the area also you could tour. Smoke Hole and Seneca Caverns. Both have restaurants by them. Elkins is close to three hours from Laury Caverns and in the season there are train rides into the mountains and high falls as well as the Gandy Dancer Dinner Theater. I prefer the Cass railroad for a scenic ride but both are nice Elkins has numerous local restaurants that are great including the Forks. Smoke on the water, Alpine Lodge, El Gran Sabor, and CJ Maggies. I would check what is open or available before going now. Elkins has Graceland and Hallihurst mansions on the campus of Davis & Elkins College. I believe you can take tours of Graceland. Elkins is the largest town in this part of the state with nice places to stay also. Canaan Valley Resort and Ski area near Davis and Thomas. It is the highest sizeable valley east of the Mississippi and one of the most beautiful places in West Virginia. It has a very nice lodge also. You can't go wrong with the scenery in this part of West Virginia or Virginia.
You may want to also check out Sugar Grove which used to be a naval base but the entire town was sold in 2020. I'm not sure about rather you can even get into the town now but it's a neat little town in the middle of nowhere. You could go to Davis and Thomas which are old coal towns. Both have a few nice shops and restaurants including the purple fiddle, Hellbender Burrito, and Sirianni Pizza. They are about two hours from Luray caverns but beautiful scenery. You will be close to Blackwater falls which is the largest waterfall in the state. Lindy Point is a nice little hike near the falls with a great view. There are two caverns in the area also you could tour. Smoke Hole and Seneca Caverns. Both have restaurants by them. Elkins is close to three hours from Laury Caverns and in the season there are train rides into the mountains and high falls as well as the Gandy Dancer Dinner Theater. I prefer the Cass railroad for a scenic ride but both are nice Elkins has numerous local restaurants that are great including the Forks. Smoke on the water, Alpine Lodge, El Gran Sabor, and CJ Maggies. I would check what is open or available before going now. Elkins has Graceland and Hallihurst mansions on the campus of Davis & Elkins College. I believe you can take tours of Graceland. Elkins is the largest town in this part of the state with nice places to stay also. Canaan Valley Resort and Ski area near Davis and Thomas. It is the highest sizeable valley east of the Mississippi and one of the most beautiful places in West Virginia. It has a very nice lodge also. You can't go wrong with the scenery in this part of West Virginia or Virginia.
Thanks for this trove of info!
I've a few years yet to go before I can move, but WV looks better and better as I look around. My other places are in the Mountain West.
Going from my huge city to a smaller place might have to be done in stages, so I've been looking at Elkins, possibly to rent a while while exploring around. Petersburg and Lewisburg sound good, too, and now you've got me interested in Davis and Thomas.
I have to ask: What in tarnation was the Navy doing with a base in WV?? Only thing I can think of would be escape and evasion training for SEALS.
I've a few years yet to go before I can move, but WV looks better and better as I look around. My other places are in the Mountain West.
Going from my huge city to a smaller place might have to be done in stages, so I've been looking at Elkins, possibly to rent a while while exploring around. Petersburg and Lewisburg sound good, too, and now you've got me interested in Davis and Thomas.
I have to ask: What in tarnation was the Navy doing with a base in WV?? Only thing I can think of would be escape and evasion training for SEALS.
It was listed as a Navy site, but was actually an NSA operation.
I've a few years yet to go before I can move, but WV looks better and better as I look around. My other places are in the Mountain West.
Going from my huge city to a smaller place might have to be done in stages, so I've been looking at Elkins, possibly to rent a while while exploring around. Petersburg and Lewisburg sound good, too, and now you've got me interested in Davis and Thomas.
I have to ask: What in tarnation was the Navy doing with a base in WV?? Only thing I can think of would be escape and evasion training for SEALS.
On a related note, the U.S. Coast Guard has multiple facilities in Berkeley County. U.S. Customs & Border Patrol has a massive training site just west of Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County. Both make you turn your head when you see them in WV.
I love Thomas and Davis! I've thought about getting a weekend cabin out that way. Of the places you've listed, I would put those in my top 3 alongside Lewisburg.
100% agree with Davis/ Thomas/ Canaan Valley area. We are actually looking at a weekend place there as well. I find Lewisburg to be a nice place but rather pretentious - and that is coming from someone who has lived in Northern Virginia / DC the past 15 years. Don't get me wrong the Greenbrier Valley is beautiful but it just has this air of snob in-town for one reason or another. Can't quite pinpoint the origins but it wasn't like that when I was growing up.
If you're going to head North to Davis/Thomas, I would suggest checking out Cathedral State Park. It's not very big, however, it is home to some of the only virgin Hemlock Forest in the entire United States and is rather impressive.
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