Su Clauson-Wicker - Scenic Routes & Byways West Virginia

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Copyright 2013 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC

Previous editions were published as Scenic Driving West Virginia.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

All photos by Su Clauson-Wicker unless otherwise noted.

Editor: Kevin Sirois
Project Editor: Lynn Zelem
Layout: Mary Ballachino
Maps: Tony Moore, updated by Daniel Lloyd by Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ISSN 2328-1596
ISBN 978-0-7627-8715-9

Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Su Clauson-Wickers diverse career includes a decade as editor of Virginia Tech Magazine, as well as positions in television, radio, medical public relations, and child welfare. She grew up in an upstate New York county often compared unfavorably to the Mountain State, attended Cornell University, and after getting her masters degree, she wasted no time in moving near the West Virginia border, to Blacksburg, Virginia. She spends nearly a month in West Virginia each year. She is author of the Inn to Inn Walking Guide for the Virginias, as well as the Globe Pequot Press book West Virginia Off the Beaten Path.

Id like to express my indebtedness to the first author of Scenic Driving West Virginia, Bruce Sloane, whose knowledge and organization blazed a solid path to follow in our mutual mining of the treasures along the byways of the Mountain State. Thank you, Bruce.

I owe mountains of gratitude to my friend Estill Putney, without whose enthusiastic companionship, expert driving, adventuresome spirit, and artistic perceptions this book might never have happened in a timely fashion, and it certainly wouldnt have been half so much fun.

Without the help of scores of wonderful West Virginia people, our travels would not have been so eye-opening, rich, and enjoyable. My thanks go out to you, and may you continue to enrich the lives of future visitors. Its impossible to list everyone, but here are a few folks who have been especially helpful: Sissie Summers of West Virginia State Parks, Kari Thompson of Stonewall Group, Olivia Litman of Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau, Caryn Gresham and David Rotenizer of West Virginia Culture and History, Stephen Shaluta and Jacqueline Proctor of West Virginia Commerce, Rachael Stebbins of Greenbrier Convention & Visitors Bureau, Mark Lewis of Parkersburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, Mike Smith of Droop Mountain State Park, Mike Foster of Lost River State Park, Steve Jones of North Bend State Park, Ken McClintic of Holly River State Park, and my friend and fellow Milkweed writer, Cheryl Ruggiero.

I am also indebted to editor Kevin Sirois at Globe Pequot Press, who knows how to smooth the process and get things done, despite having acute appendicitis in mid-project. Last but not least, I give heartfelt gratitude to my husband, Bruce Wicker, for understanding, self-reliance, and keeping things running and everyone fed during the months Ive been focused on West Virginia.

W est VirginiaWest, by God, Virginia, as they sometimes say if someone confuses their state with western Virginia. It seems appropriate to invoke the cosmic hand in forming the natural beauty of the Mountain State. The thundering New River Gorge, the high vistas of Dolly Sods, the delicate orchids of Cranberry Glades Botanical Area, the labyrinthine loveliness of Beartown State Park, or the majesty of Kanawha Fallsall within a few hours drivecombine into the uniquely appealing and sometimes awe-inspiringly gorgeous 24,231 square miles of West Virginia. Although you will see strip mining as well as natural-gas drilling pads, youll find that much of West Virginia is still greener, more rustic, and more relaxed than most of its more industrialized neighbors.

Its a small state, 41st in size, but within its boundaries you can find major ski resorts, sophisticated cities, ancient Indian mounds, native trout streams, arctic vegetation, Civil War battle sites, a world-class spring resort, and a state-run craft showplace, where culinary school graduates serve gourmet soups for the price of a fast-food burger. West Virginians know perfectly wellas do those of us who venture off the interstatesthat the tiresome stereotypes of mountaineers are hogwash. West Virginians are about the most friendly, helpful, and unpretentious people youll find. Most are proud to live in a state with one of the lowest crime rates and highest percentages of home ownership in the nation. They take pride in their heritage and are happy to show you why they love their land.

Classifying West Virginia, even its regionality, is difficult. The US Census Bureau classifies it as part of the South, though the Northern Panhandle extends up along Pennsylvania and Ohio, closer to both their capitals than Charleston. Bluefield, in the southeast, is less than 70 miles from North Carolina, while Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry in the Eastern Panhandle region are considered part of the Washington metropolitan area. It is the only state entirely within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, the area known as Appalachia.

For geological purposes, the state is divided into two physiographic provinces. The western two-thirds lie in the Appalachian Plateau province of relatively flatlying rocks with mineable coal. Streams dissect this area into a maze of irregular hills and valleys. West Virginia is the only state to lie almost entirely within the Appalachian Plateau.

The eastern third of the state is dominated by the northeastsouthwest ridges of the Valley and Ridge province, with its intricately folded rocks, sinuous peaks, and cavernous valleys. An exception is the extreme portion of the Eastern Panhandle near Harpers Ferry, which is an extension of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Lighthorse Harry Lees summer house stands at Lost River State Park.

The boundary between the Valley and Ridge province and the Appalachian Plateau is the imposing Allegheny Front, which at its maximum rises 2,500 feet above the plateau and includes the highest and some of the most scenic areas of the state.

The New River, known for world-class whitewater rafting, has eroded into a 1,000-foot-deep gorge across the Allegheny Front.

The southern and southwest areas of the state contain some of the largest deposits of bituminous coal in the country. Although mining practices during the early 1900s scarred the land, recent reclamation projects have partially restored some damaged areas. In addition to bituminous coal, the states economically important mineral deposits are abundant oil and gas, limestone, sandstone, and rock-salt beds. As mining has become more mechanized, jobs have decreased, and gradually recreation and travel are being recognized as the best use of the land.