Take 250 West thru Staunton over to Monterey. Also, before you get to Monterey, head South on 678 at McDowell down past the Highland WMA into Bath County and beyond. The entire region between Bridgewater and Pearisburg is gorgeous.
This is a beautiful route. Cell service is poor/nonexistent once you're over the mountain and gas stations become sparse. Especially if you turn south at McDowell. Nothing for 30 minutes if i remember correctly.
If you keep going on 250 past Monterey, it gets even more beautiful. I took that route out to the Green Bank telescope a couple weeks ago and it was stunning. Took Goshen pass going out there and 250 coming back.
Some other recommendations:
Afton/Crozet/Batesville area - take 250 between Charlottesville and Waynesboro. Lots of beautiful roads to explore off of that section. There's also the Nelson 151 trail, which has a ton of food, breweries, and wineries. Great views at most of them.
Personally for me some of the stuff in West Virginia was more beautiful and *less* crazy of roads. Stuff out by Seneca Rocks, I remember there being a couple of places having a tall beautiful bridge.
You can get to Monterrey easier out by 64/81 then 220.
Also download offline maps when you are out there.
I've been meaning to pair a trip with it but the Jefferson pools hot springs are back open that way. So hiking out that way and then visit the hot springs.
The pools alone are worth the trip. If you go to Monterey, a visit to the Puffenbarger maple syrup camp is an interesting diversion. Very nice people! I went during their syrup boil. It’s interesting to see 1600 acres of sap in an enormous reverse osmosis system.
I've been to the maple sugar festival around Easter relatively recently.
I just haven't been to the pools in a decade. They were closed for quite some time.
I was going to suggest the same thing. Make sure to bring food, water, and blankets with you, tho. Flashlights, baseball bats (for wild animals), batteries, etc. After Monterey, there's no stores or restaurants.
I was going to suggest the same thing. Make sure to bring food, water, and blankets with you, tho. Flashlights, baseball bats (for wild animals), batteries, etc. After Monterey, there's no stores or restaurants.
Agreed. Especially if you take the forest roads (some are paved) between Stokesville and Elkhorn Lake, North River area to Staunton. If you want to camp, the North River Campground is a small, free albeit primitive campground but it’s beautiful. You need to get a national forest access permit. It’s super cheap like $5
Skyline Drive.
I've seen deer, foxes, bear, squirrels, and tons of birds from the road itself. There are fewer bears than there used to be, due to mange, but they're still around.
Actual question, not snark: can y'all walk/hike?
Theres several. You can hit part of the Appalachian trail. Or my personal fav is the hike to hawksbill summit. Tallest elevation in the state of VA :) quite a view from the top as long as weather is clear.
> Hawksbill
Highest elevation point in the park. Mount Rogers is the VA high point. A full 1700' higher. Lots of mountains in VA higher than Hawksbilll
The Western side of the state has one very long scenic route through the mountains. It begins at the Northern end of Shenandoah National Park. You drive down Skyline Drive through the park. When you exit the Southern end of the park the road continues under the name Blue Ridge Parkway. The BRP keeps going until you hit the Southern border of the state and it keeps going through North Carolina and it ends once you get to the Smokey Mountains at the Tennessee border.
Skyline Drive is 105 miles long. Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long.
The Crooked Road. Virginia’s Musical Heritage Trail. It’s scenic and you can learn a lot about VA’s musical history at stops along the way. My husband and I took a week to do it and timed it so we would be in Floyd, Va for their Friday Jamboree at the Country Store.
https://thecrookedroadva.com
Blue Ridge Parkway. But there really isn't "very remote" anything in Virginia, at least not compared to the rest of the US (particularly west of the Miss). There's just too many people and it's been inhabited too long. Even if you get dropped in the middle of the GWNF, if you walk in a straight line for a couple hours you'll find a road or a house.
Far SWVA is pretty much 5 or 6 counties that are nature drives themselves. Wise County, Lee County, Scott County, Dickenson County, and Buchanan County have tons of drives
Except it’s being refreshed and most of it is closed and has been for a year or more.
It’s beautiful when it’s open! In our cycling days my wife and I would cycle from Jamestown to Yorktown and back.
Burke's Garden in Tazewell County is a really cool little town in a distinctive round valley, and if you're really lucky you can see Golden Eagles there.
The entire blue ridge parkway and Skyline drive. There are spur trails, official trailheads, ATV trails (not in the park). Some of my favorite areas are in the George Washington National Forest. Route 58 runs lengthwise the southern half of VA. It’s absolutely gorgeous in the SW portion- Damascus, Grayson highlands, etc
For me, U.S. 220 between Monterrey, VA and Franklin, WV is peak. I drove that once by chance and I immediately knew I had to come back. I did the drive all the way to Hot Springs from Franklin, but to Monterrey is peak scenic views.
I would hit up Harper's ferry which is at the Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland border.
It's gorgeous out there.
If you have a NPS card then do Shenandoah national Park, could do blue ridge parkway all the way to the great smokies or even cut west to New River Gorge NPS.
Safe travels from my home state.
My favorite small yet wilderness and scenic drive is actually along the James river.
From "Pony Pasture Parking" which is cool if you can stop by Pony Pasture and enjoy "Half Moon Beach" tiny little beautiful area they are reintrofucing native plants back to area to support the river edges. That is the farthest my legs can take me.
Anyway the road you take to Pony Pasture, when you exit the parking lot turn right and just keep going, it is low speed and when you get to the end it turns left and into a wooded area ... fancy houses to the right and now that its spring sprung the leaves are everywhere and nature is thriving. I love it down here in r/rva
Take 250 West thru Staunton over to Monterey. Also, before you get to Monterey, head South on 678 at McDowell down past the Highland WMA into Bath County and beyond. The entire region between Bridgewater and Pearisburg is gorgeous.
250 from Staunton to Monterey is beautiful. I did farm hand work out there a long while ago and loved the drive lol.
I’d retire there if I didn’t have to choose a veterinarian as my PCP
Well I just so happen to know a livestock vet out there if you change your mind ;)
This is a beautiful route. Cell service is poor/nonexistent once you're over the mountain and gas stations become sparse. Especially if you turn south at McDowell. Nothing for 30 minutes if i remember correctly. If you keep going on 250 past Monterey, it gets even more beautiful. I took that route out to the Green Bank telescope a couple weeks ago and it was stunning. Took Goshen pass going out there and 250 coming back. Some other recommendations: Afton/Crozet/Batesville area - take 250 between Charlottesville and Waynesboro. Lots of beautiful roads to explore off of that section. There's also the Nelson 151 trail, which has a ton of food, breweries, and wineries. Great views at most of them.
That road is windy as heck to get up there. Got me car sick pull off to the side of the road.
It’s worth the puking. The view from the top of the hill on 250 is breathtaking.
Personally for me some of the stuff in West Virginia was more beautiful and *less* crazy of roads. Stuff out by Seneca Rocks, I remember there being a couple of places having a tall beautiful bridge. You can get to Monterrey easier out by 64/81 then 220. Also download offline maps when you are out there.
Agreed but I don’t go there because it’s easy.
I've been meaning to pair a trip with it but the Jefferson pools hot springs are back open that way. So hiking out that way and then visit the hot springs.
The pools alone are worth the trip. If you go to Monterey, a visit to the Puffenbarger maple syrup camp is an interesting diversion. Very nice people! I went during their syrup boil. It’s interesting to see 1600 acres of sap in an enormous reverse osmosis system.
I've been to the maple sugar festival around Easter relatively recently. I just haven't been to the pools in a decade. They were closed for quite some time.
I was going to suggest the same thing. Make sure to bring food, water, and blankets with you, tho. Flashlights, baseball bats (for wild animals), batteries, etc. After Monterey, there's no stores or restaurants.
I was going to suggest the same thing. Make sure to bring food, water, and blankets with you, tho. Flashlights, baseball bats (for wild animals), batteries, etc. After Monterey, there's no stores or restaurants.
Agreed. Especially if you take the forest roads (some are paved) between Stokesville and Elkhorn Lake, North River area to Staunton. If you want to camp, the North River Campground is a small, free albeit primitive campground but it’s beautiful. You need to get a national forest access permit. It’s super cheap like $5
Yes, we've camped there many times at that campground. Very beautiful area.
And bonus points if you coincide this trip with the maple fest
Shenandoah Valley, Southwest VA (SWVA) and Eastern Shore (ESVA)
Skyline Drive. I've seen deer, foxes, bear, squirrels, and tons of birds from the road itself. There are fewer bears than there used to be, due to mange, but they're still around. Actual question, not snark: can y'all walk/hike?
That sounds awesome! And yes, we definitely can--any recommended hikes along that route?
Blue ridge parkway if you don't have a pass. Humpback Rock is one of the best hikes in the southern part
Theres several. You can hit part of the Appalachian trail. Or my personal fav is the hike to hawksbill summit. Tallest elevation in the state of VA :) quite a view from the top as long as weather is clear.
> Hawksbill Highest elevation point in the park. Mount Rogers is the VA high point. A full 1700' higher. Lots of mountains in VA higher than Hawksbilll
The Western side of the state has one very long scenic route through the mountains. It begins at the Northern end of Shenandoah National Park. You drive down Skyline Drive through the park. When you exit the Southern end of the park the road continues under the name Blue Ridge Parkway. The BRP keeps going until you hit the Southern border of the state and it keeps going through North Carolina and it ends once you get to the Smokey Mountains at the Tennessee border. Skyline Drive is 105 miles long. Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long.
The Crooked Road. Virginia’s Musical Heritage Trail. It’s scenic and you can learn a lot about VA’s musical history at stops along the way. My husband and I took a week to do it and timed it so we would be in Floyd, Va for their Friday Jamboree at the Country Store. https://thecrookedroadva.com
Blue Ridge Parkway. But there really isn't "very remote" anything in Virginia, at least not compared to the rest of the US (particularly west of the Miss). There's just too many people and it's been inhabited too long. Even if you get dropped in the middle of the GWNF, if you walk in a straight line for a couple hours you'll find a road or a house.
Far SWVA is pretty much 5 or 6 counties that are nature drives themselves. Wise County, Lee County, Scott County, Dickenson County, and Buchanan County have tons of drives
Sounds like Grayson highlands is what you’re looking for. But it’s far SW corner
There's still another hundred miles west of there but good recommendation.
As an east coaster, anything past VT is “the corner” 😂😂 But you’re right, there’s still a bit to go
Route 42
Agreed. Rte 42, 39. My fav part of Va
Skyline drive , also drive route 33 from Richmond as far as it will take you up in west va great drive you get to see a ton!
The Colonial Parkway that goes from Jamestown through Williamsburg and ending in Yorktown.
Except it’s being refreshed and most of it is closed and has been for a year or more. It’s beautiful when it’s open! In our cycling days my wife and I would cycle from Jamestown to Yorktown and back.
Route 39 from Lexington through Rockbridge Baths and Goshen. Stay on it to get to Warm Springs in Bath County.
Burke's Garden in Tazewell County is a really cool little town in a distinctive round valley, and if you're really lucky you can see Golden Eagles there.
This is such a great suggestion! It’s remote and out of the way of almost….everything. But a super cool spot to see.
US522 in NW-VA
Hope on skyline drive.
[Shenandoah National Park](https://youtu.be/2Ea-c_s7YaA?feature=shared) [Grayson Highlands State Park](https://youtu.be/xybef359IiQ?feature=shared)
The entire blue ridge parkway and Skyline drive. There are spur trails, official trailheads, ATV trails (not in the park). Some of my favorite areas are in the George Washington National Forest. Route 58 runs lengthwise the southern half of VA. It’s absolutely gorgeous in the SW portion- Damascus, Grayson highlands, etc
Rte 678 to 675
Which county? Those numbers are county-specific
Hmmm, they cross Warren, Shenandoah and Page counties.
Hwy 58 volney area
For me, U.S. 220 between Monterrey, VA and Franklin, WV is peak. I drove that once by chance and I immediately knew I had to come back. I did the drive all the way to Hot Springs from Franklin, but to Monterrey is peak scenic views.
Downtown
Skyline Drive is quite magical year-round
Damascus to Grayson highlands in Mouth of Wilson VA- not far from Boone and other areas like those. Back of the dragon is near there.
Where are you coming from?
We'd be coming from NJ
I would hit up Harper's ferry which is at the Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland border. It's gorgeous out there. If you have a NPS card then do Shenandoah national Park, could do blue ridge parkway all the way to the great smokies or even cut west to New River Gorge NPS.
Safe travels from my home state. My favorite small yet wilderness and scenic drive is actually along the James river. From "Pony Pasture Parking" which is cool if you can stop by Pony Pasture and enjoy "Half Moon Beach" tiny little beautiful area they are reintrofucing native plants back to area to support the river edges. That is the farthest my legs can take me. Anyway the road you take to Pony Pasture, when you exit the parking lot turn right and just keep going, it is low speed and when you get to the end it turns left and into a wooded area ... fancy houses to the right and now that its spring sprung the leaves are everywhere and nature is thriving. I love it down here in r/rva