Riding challenging curves through beautiful mountain scenery spikes my happy gauge, and the border region of eastern West Virginia and western Virginia is ripe with options. Great roads curve along rivers, wind through national forests, and roll through small towns, with interesting sights along the way.
The historic small city of Lewisburg, West Virginia, offers good restaurants and lodgings, providing a convenient base of operations. I connected there with my long-time riding partner Steve Efthyvoulou for two day-ride loops that took us over (and over) the border between the Virginias.
Day 1: Into the Alleghany Highlands
After breakfast, we pointed our bikes north on U.S. Route 219 to Anthony Road, where a right turn put us on an entertaining and frequently narrow road that parallels Anthony Creek. Recent deer strikes on this road involving riders we know had us on heightened alert for creatures aptly named Odocoileus virginianus. We continued deer-free through the village of Anthony and past Blue Bend. A right onto State Route 92 (Pocahontas Trail) took us south through Alvon and to the outskirts of White Sulphur Springs.
Scan QR codes above or click Day 1 or Day 2 to view routes on REVER
A one-exit run on Interstate 64 east delivered us to State Route 311 (Kanawha Trail). We crossed into Virginia and entered George Washington National Forest. A few miles on, we encountered a curious double tunnel under a railroad. The original passageway was built of stone; the metal culvert must have come later.
SR-311 hugs Tygers Creek southeast toward Crows, where we went right to follow Dunlap Creek. We crossed back into West Virginia, and south of Sweet Springs, SR-311 continues left as Peters Mountain Road, curving in spectacular fashion to a ridge. There it returns to Virginia and cuts through a patchwork of green including wilderness and recreation areas, campgrounds, and trails for hikers and off-roaders.
On the outskirts of Paint Bank, where SR-311 crosses Potts Creek, the Lemon Hotel proudly flaunts its vivid yellow exterior. This historic mountain home, dating from 1909 and now operating as a bed-and-breakfast, continues the yellow theme to the garage, chicken coop, deck chairs, guest bicycles, and likely other accoutrements. Green trim mimics the leaves of a lemon tree. I’d wager the yellow lodgings are fabulous, but I was more interested in following yellow lines painted on smooth, black asphalt.
Paint Bank Road continues switching back and forth down Potts Mountain, with several scenic views signposted. At New Castle, we turned left onto State Route 615 (Craig Creek Road). The road meanders less than its namesake waterway, but it’s still engaging. To our right, we noticed suspension-style bridges across the creek that look like scaled-down Golden Gate Bridges. Where Craig Creek makes its final sweep right to join the James River, we turned left onto State Route 621 (Roaring Run Road), which slices along Karnes Creek.
See all of Rider‘s U.S. South motorcycle rides here.
At Low Moor, we turned left onto U.S. Route 220, cut north through Covington, and continued on Hot Springs Road, gaining elevation through curves into the Alleghany Highlands. Beyond the junction with State Route 684, we stopped at Falling Spring Falls.
In his 1781 book, Notes on the State of Virginia, native son and future U.S. President Thomas Jefferson wrote, “The only remarkable cascade in this country is that of the Falling Spring in Augusta. It falls over a rock about 200 feet to the valley below.” These days the drop is just 80 feet because mining operations from 1927 to 1941 rerouted the stream to the current falls. It’s still beautiful, but I wonder how the original 200-foot cascade looked.
Continuing on U.S. 220, we encountered arcs and hairpins climbing to a ridge, then curved down to the center of Clifton Forge, which offers multiple choices for lunch. Steve selected 42 Deli, where we ordered BLT subs overflowing with bacon. (There’s no such thing as too much bacon.)
After lunch, we continued north on Douthat Road to State Route 39 then turned left for more curves to the West Virginia border. Down in Marlinton, we turned left onto U.S. 219 through Buckeye and Hillsboro. In Pocahontas, we visited Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, site of an 1863 Civil War battle that ended organized Southern resistance in the still-new state of West Virginia. A walk up the observation tower rewarded us with a panoramic view of the Greenbrier River Valley. Continuing south on U.S. 219, a combination of sweepers and twisties returned us to Lewisburg to complete the day’s loop.
Day 2: West Virginia High
The next morning, our second loop started east from Lewisburg on U.S. Route 60 then turned south at Cadwell onto State Route 63 (Monroe Draft). At Organ Cave, this road joins U.S. 219 (Seneca Trail), and at Pickaway we turned right onto State Route 3 toward Sinks Grove and Wolf Creek. At Alderson, SR-3 crosses the Greenbrier River and bends gently west and south for a relaxed run along this scenic river.
At Bellepoint, the Greenbrier and New Rivers converge, and just past Hinton we encountered a fantastic section of State Route 20. With tight turns and elevation changes, it moves along Gwinn Ridge with practically perfect pavement. At Sandstone we parked at the general store and walked around back for a close-up look at the New River. It’s among the oldest rivers on Earth, flowing northward through West Virginia valleys and canyons. On a perfect June morning, it couldn’t be prettier.
Reversing course, we enjoyed SR-20’s curves in the opposite direction. At Hinton, SR-3 presents a curvy stretch of two-lane to Shady Spring. There, U.S. Route 19 south got us down to Odd Road, which given its continual curves, is anything but odd for West Virginia. In the village of Odd, we turned right. Then at Coal City Road, we turned left for more twisties. At Amigo we picked up State Route 16 and wound through Stephenson and Corinne to Mullens.
Riding north out of Mullens on State Route 54 led us to a succession of twisty backroads including State Routes 97 and 3, Mattsville Road, Lower Sandick Road, and Clear Creek Crossing Road. In the village of Clear Creek Crossing, the riding got even better when we turned right onto Clear Fork Road. The tight curves border on perilous, but wow, it was fun!
Clear Fork Road ends (sigh) at Maple Fork Road, then we went left on State Route 16, right on 61, and left on 41. Farther on, we reached a highlight of the day, Babcock State Park, featuring Glade Creek Grist Mill and a series of streaming waterfalls.
Returning to SR-41, we continued to U.S. 60 and got exactly what we’ve come to expect from a great West Virginia road: smooth tar with elevation changes and thrilling curves. What a way to finish this ride. At the intersection of U.S. 219, we were back in Lewisburg.
Morning presented a 664-mile highway jaunt to get home. That’s a long way in a day but a small price to enjoy border hopping the Virginias.
See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.
Virginia-West Virginia Motorcycle Ride Resources
- Virginia Tourism
- Alleghany Highlands, VA
- Tazewell County, VA
- West Virginia Tourism
- Lewisburg, WV
- Elkins-Randolph County, WV
- Pocahontas County, WV
Scott “Bones” Williams engages readers on motorcycle touring, gear, and culture. His writing conveys his love of speed and motion, preference for roads less taken, and role as goodwill ambassador.
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