WV Suggestions

Weather is looking good for the weekend and I'm not working,so I think I'll take a little three day exploring trip to the wild and wonderful hills of W.V.

Anyone have any suggestions on not to miss roads?I know most of the more well known roads in WV(250,33,16,60,50,220,smoke hole)...I'm looking for those lesser known,maybe recently paved,gems.

Whatchya got?

Watching this thread

I just got back from there, almost all are good MC roads, some we ventured on started out great but then ended up unpaved. The newly paved hidden gem sounds almost too good to be true... but I'ma watching

Top_Speed1 said:

Watching this thread

The newly paved hidden gem sounds almost too good to be true... but I'ma watching

Click to expand...

They're always out there.Case in point...CR89 Proctor Creek Road,runs from SR2 five miles north of New Martinsville to SR250.It starts out following Proctor Creek,but once you climb the hill and exit the second switchback you have great pavement for about 16 miles of twisty ridge running before it settles back into remote,scenic cruising.250 to the second switchback was paved two years ago.

The first EOM we went to (2008) was based outta Lewisburg. Pick a direction and go. New River Gorge isn't too far away.

Maybe someone around here still has the GPS routes from back then. I thought I still had 'em but I don't.

Rumor has it that huron52 is going to WV this weekend, but we all know he never gets to go anywhere.

Denny checkout 85 from Madison WV down to 10 south to 16 through Welch, down through Tazwell to Marion. This is on my route down to Sparta NC on the 29th. Or you could contact Jim Meadows (spklbuk) on the other forum...he knows WV like you know SE Ohio. Have a great weekend.

Rt. 150 (Highland Scenic Highway), a 22 mile loop between 219 and 55 has some great views. Doe Hill Rd. from McDowell, VA to Brandywine, WV runs through some beautiful country, as does 84 in Highland Co., VA between Frost, WV and Vanderpool, VA. I've heard the road to Spruce Knob is paved the whole way to the top now, though I haven't been up there myself lately. Watch out for chip sealing in Highland Co., VA; I didn't see any a couple weeks ago when I was there, but this is the time of year for it in VA, in my experience. Have a great ride.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.I've made up a tentative route for the first day that includes quite a few county roads and state highways in the western part of the state below Parkersburg and west of Charleston.Here's some of the state routes...31,47,16,18,119,36,85(it's in there Joe),99 and 3.

There's also one wild card in there...152.I'm not seeing anything about it on any forums or road sites,but it looks pretty impressive in the Delorme.Anyone know anything about WV 152 in the extreme western part of WV?

I'm shooting for working my way up from the south through the middle part of the state on the second day,and hitting the good stuff in the east on day three.I haven't been over in the eastern side of WV for a few years so your suggestions are much appreciated lonerider.

Any more WV favorites out there?

Denny...that WV 152 looks interesting.

152 does look interesting. It is a double yellow road. I was going to suggest Howard's Lick road It runs from Moorefield to Lost River S.P. and out onto 259. Granted, it is on the far eastern side of WV. It is a great scenic road not a speed road. It is a real cliff hanger riding west to east in one spot.

Amazing how you guys find all these cool back roads. The coolest thing I found with a few of the FJR groups is getting the routes for different areas. The few times I did it the roads were amazing

Intech said:

I was going to suggest Howard's Lick road It runs from Moorefield to Lost River S.P. and out onto 259. Granted, it is on the far eastern side of WV. It is a great scenic road not a speed road. It is a real cliff hanger riding west to east in one spot.

Click to expand...

Be aware if you ride this one, west to east is a little smoother than opposite. A lot of this road doesn't have good pavement... but it is actually paved all the way through. Also, it dumps out on Rte 259 in VIRGINIA.

Whatever you do... don't ask Bob to lead you there. BTW... some good roads in Virginia as well.

My addition to the bunch. Rte 10 between Herndon & Matoaka... sweet assed pavement. be careful of speed traps thru town of Matoaka.

Also 3 between Beckley & Rte 219 is pretty damn good.

& have fun. I considered riding this weekend & heading out thata' way... but kind of blew it off.

luvtoride said:

Intech said:

I was going to suggest Howard's Lick road It runs from Moorefield to Lost River S.P. and out onto 259. Granted, it is on the far eastern side of WV. It is a great scenic road not a speed road. It is a real cliff hanger riding west to east in one spot.

Click to expand...

Be aware if you ride this one, west to east is a little smoother than opposite. A lot of this road doesn't have good pavement... but it is actually paved all the way through. Also, it dumps out on Rte 259 in VIRGINIA.

Whatever you do... don't ask Bob to lead you there. BTW... some good roads in Virginia as well.

My addition to the bunch. Rte 10 between Herndon & Matoaka... sweet assed pavement. be careful of speed traps thru town of Matoaka.

Also 3 between Beckley & Rte 219 is pretty damn good.

& have fun. I considered riding this weekend & heading out thata' way... but kind of blew it off.

Click to expand...

Um, Heidi, Howards Lick dumps out on 259 in Mathias, WV. JS

luvtoride said:

Intech said:

I was going to suggest Howard's Lick road It runs from Moorefield to Lost River S.P. and out onto 259. Granted, it is on the far eastern side of WV. It is a great scenic road not a speed road. It is a real cliff hanger riding west to east in one spot.

Click to expand...

Be aware if you ride this one, west to east is a little smoother than opposite. A lot of this road doesn't have good pavement... but it is actually paved all the way through. Also, it dumps out on Rte 259 in VIRGINIA.

Whatever you do... don't ask Bob to lead you there. BTW... some good roads in Virginia as well.

My addition to the bunch. Rte 10 between Herndon & Matoaka... sweet assed pavement. be careful of speed traps thru town of Matoaka.

Also 3 between Beckley & Rte 219 is pretty damn good.

& have fun. I considered riding this weekend & heading out thata' way... but kind of blew it off.

Click to expand...

Thanks Heidi...I have that section of 10 on my planned route.I don't have my route here,but I think that part of 3 might be on there too,if not,I'll work it in.Have you been on 71 that goes into Matoaka from the south?I'm going to try it,as well as 99 that runs off of 85 to the northwest of Matoaka...Mario Caruso ranks them both pretty high in his book,"West Virginia Riders Guide".His suggestions have been pretty good in the past.

I'm going to ride several county roads,which usually take a lot more time,so I'm going to be limited pretty much to the area west of I-77 on this trip.I intend to explore WV several more times this year,so thanks for all of the suggestions in the eastern side of the state.I probably won't get to them this trip,but I'll try to hit them all before the end of the riding season.

Have a great weekend Denny...the weather is looking real nice...maybe a little hot on Monday

El Toro Joe said:

Have a great weekend Denny...the weather is looking real nice...maybe a little hot on Monday

Click to expand...

Thanks Joe...near perfect riding forcast.I didn't realize that it is the Memorial day weekend,but I'm going to be in some pretty remote areas,so I hope traffic won't be a problem.I'll be home some time Saturday evening,so it should be just the really nice days.

Intech said:

luvtoride said:

Intech said:

I was going to suggest Howard's Lick road It runs from Moorefield to Lost River S.P. and out onto 259. Granted, it is on the far eastern side of WV. It is a great scenic road not a speed road. It is a real cliff hanger riding west to east in one spot.

Click to expand...

Be aware if you ride this one, west to east is a little smoother than opposite. A lot of this road doesn't have good pavement... but it is actually paved all the way through. Also, it dumps out on Rte 259 in VIRGINIA.

Whatever you do... don't ask Bob to lead you there. BTW... some good roads in Virginia as well.

My addition to the bunch. Rte 10 between Herndon & Matoaka... sweet assed pavement. be careful of speed traps thru town of Matoaka.

Also 3 between Beckley & Rte 219 is pretty damn good.

& have fun. I considered riding this weekend & heading out thata' way... but kind of blew it off.

Click to expand...

Um, Heidi, Howards Lick dumps out on 259 in Mathias, WV. JS

Click to expand...

Ok then, are you sure since you don't appear able to find it? lol! just kidding. Just made an assumption. You know about those, right.

drc32-0 said:

I'm going to ride several county roads,which usually take a lot more time,so I'm going to be limited pretty much to the area west of I-77 on this trip.I intend to explore WV several more times this year,so thanks for all of the suggestions in the eastern side of the state.I probably won't get to them this trip,but I'll try to hit them all before the end of the riding season.

Click to expand...

Ya' know, a buddy of mine & I wanted to ride some of the roads around Matoaka. We were warned by a local that the roads were dirt... but this was years ago. I haven't attempted to do that again. Good luck & please do report back about it.

I was out there about ten days ago and was foolish enough to let my GPS guide me through a "shortcut" from WV 37 to Logan on WV 10. The shortcut took me up a mountain on a very narrow barely paved road. After about 3-4 miles going up this dink through many switchbacks, the road turned to gravel. There was nowhere on this little road wide enough for an FJR to do an easy turnaround, so my buddy and I rode another mile up and about five miles down on very dicey gravel. FJRs just aren't built for 30" inseam guys to take on gravel down a steep mountain with swtichbacks everywhere. We took WV 10 the next day the rest of the way to I 77 down near the Virginia border. It was a great ride.

O.K.,so I'm back from my ride in wild and wonderful West Virginia.1000 miles,three days,some GREAT roads,some not so great county roads and a few moments like Gurock describes in his post.In large,deep gravel the FJR becomes a heavy pig!

First...to the great stuff...some of these roads were suggested by members here,,,thanks again for all suggestions.

These are the roads,or sections of roads,that I counsider outstanding rides...

16 Welch to Tazwell VA

3 219 to Alderson

10 Coval to Matoaka

61 Kincaid to Deep Water

16 33/219 to 50

CR9/CR9-8/CR28 Athens to 460?VA NE of Princeton

CR48 Odd Rd I-77Ex 28 to Odd

CR33/CR29 Stonecoal to Coal City SW of Beckley

These are all outstanding,twisty rides on very good to near perfect pavement,but if I were to narrow it down further these three rides keep coming to mind...3 219 to Alderson,61 Kincaid to Deep Water and CR33/29 Stonecoal to Coal City.

Maybe the best thing about these three rides is that they run through totally different landscapes.The area out around 3 and 219 is open fields,rolling hills with nice farms and small towns with brick homes from the 1800's.61 snakes up and over a mountain with rock walls nearly to the side of the road on one side,and ,at times, a mountain stream on the other side.CR33/29 runs through a dense,deep green forest that comes right up to the road,creating tunnels of trees in several sections.CR33/CR29 was also the tightest twisties of all the roads I was on...I never got out of third gear and spent a lot of time in second.This was county road gem I was hunting for.

That's the GREAT stuff!There was plenty of other very good roads.Suchas...

152 Wayne to 52

99 85 to Bolt A little rough

85

10 North of Welch

3 Alderson to Shady Spring

122 12 to 219

219 122 to 3

71 Matoaka to 52 Rough

31 50 to 16 A little rough

This is,of course,one person's opinion,but I think anyone who likes twisty roads would have fun on any of these roads,especially the ones at the top.