MOA rally to Canaan Valley route question

I'm going right from the MOA rally to Canaan Valley. I was hoping to avoid the interstates as much as possible and was thinking of this route:
I-81 to I-77 then state highway 61 to US 460 to US 219

Anyone ridden this route or parts of it? Road conditions/construction I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance!

Check out the American Heritage Ride on the home page of MOA I just signed up sounds like a good route.

apretzl said:

I'm going right from the MOA rally to Canaan Valley. I was hoping to avoid the interstates as much as possible and was thinking of this route:
I-81 to I-77 then state highway 61 to US 460 to US 219

Anyone ridden this route or parts of it? Road conditions/construction I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance!

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Andy -
Tina will be talking about routes at the Wisconsin Club meeting on Friday night.

HexST said:

Check out the American Heritage Ride on the home page of MOA I just signed up sounds like a good route.

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I need to get there in one day, meeting the family for a mini vacation before the rally. Otherwise I would take the Heritage ride.

Sue said:

Andy -
Tina will be talking about routes at the Wisconsin Club meeting on Friday night.

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I'm sure Tina will have done her research. And no, I'm not buying a QB for the meeting!!!!!!

I've spent a fair amount of time riding and driving West Virginia and it all comes down to what kind of riding you'd like to do and how much time you have. For the most part roads running north/south are valley roads that run along between ridges and usually have gentle elevation changes and long sweepers mixed in with the occasional twisty bit. The E/W roads tend to cross ridges and have pretty sudden elevation changes and lots of hard twisties.

I am assuming you want a nice, full day ride. Were it me, and I favor the long sweepers and great scenery of the valley roads, I would make time up I-81 to Marion and the epic Rt. 16 North - a truly wonderfully twisty road. From there I'd hang a right on Rt. 42, a great valley road, up to a left on twisty Rt. 52, a great road eclipsed by the Interstate. After a short hop on 52 I'd hang a right onto the winding and scenic Rt. 61 to a left on 460 for a short hop to the awesome Rt. 219. As side note, I've ridden 219 from this spot all the way to Buffalo, NY, it is a great road. Take 219 up to Rt. 3 in Union and hang a right. Follow Rt. 3, yet another great meandering road over to Rt. 311 in Sweet Springs. Rt. 311 is one of my favorites, make sure to stop in at the fish hatchery in Paint Bank, where you'll hang a left onto Rt. 18, another awesome valley road that meanders along with good elevation changes, lots of sweepers, scenery and a few twisties mixed in.

From 18 you will pick up Rt. 220 in Covington - Rt. 220 is one of my favorite roads of all, simply beautiful. You'll pass through Hot Springs, home of The Homestead, and you must stop a bit further up in Warm Springs for a soak in the Jefferson Pools (this is usually the highlight of riding in this area.) Follow Rt. 220 further up to Monterrey, home of the Highland Inn, a favorite among the DC-area BMW crowd. From there, take a left for the short hop on Rt. 250 to a right on Rt. 640 and the Blue Grass Valley, a truly magical place. If I ever buy a sweet escape from DC, it will be here. Be forwarned, the road sometimes has gravel on it after heavy rains - be prepared to stop and shoot a lot of photos here.

Rt. 640 will take you through Bluegrass to H17/Snowey Mountain Road and then to Cherry Grove to a right turn on Rt. 28 that will take you up to Seneca Rocks and yet more photo opportunities. Hang a left on the wonderfully twisty Rt. 33 there (stop in at the general store for a refresher first) then a right in Harman on Rt. 32 and the short hop to Canaan Valley.

This is a great ride with lots of amazing scenery, lots of slow sweepers and a fair mix of twisties thrown in for fun.

Here is a GoogleMap of it.

Have a great ride!

Ted

<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Lakeview+St&daddr=N+Main+St%2FUS-11%2FVA-16+to:BF+Buchanan+Hwy%2FVA-16+to:N+Scenic+Hwy%2FUS-52+to:N+Scenic+Hwy%2FUS-52+to:VA-61+toark+Dr%2FVA-61+to:VA-311+to:N+Alleghany+Ave%2FUS-220+to:US-250+to:38.49928,-79.548225+to:Snowy+Mtn+to:US-33%2FWV-28+to:WV-32&hl=en&geocode=FaixKwIdHm0V-w%3BFUQjMgIdLEsk-w%3BFRgSNAIdUeoj-w%3BFWONNgIdyAsq-w%3BFSmwNwIdcjUq-w%3BFUSGOAIdoPwr-w%3BFZyROQIdMtEu-w%3BFbJKPQId8kk3-w%3BFYzWQAIdBHA7-w%3BFXJkSgIdFPBA-w%3B%3BFR6cTQIdRpVC-w%3BFZJ6UAIdKMJE-w%3BFcKrUwId2MVD-w&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=10&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12&sll=38.503176,-79.537239&sspn=0.070259,0.154495&ie=UTF8&ll=38.503176,-79.537239&spn=0.070259,0.154495&t=p&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=Lakeview+St&daddr=N+Main+St%2FUS-11%2FVA-16+to:BF+Buchanan+Hwy%2FVA-16+to:N+Scenic+Hwy%2FUS-52+to:N+Scenic+Hwy%2FUS-52+to:VA-61+toark+Dr%2FVA-61+to:VA-311+to:N+Alleghany+Ave%2FUS-220+to:US-250+to:38.49928,-79.548225+to:Snowy+Mtn+to:US-33%2FWV-28+to:WV-32&hl=en&geocode=FaixKwIdHm0V-w%3BFUQjMgIdLEsk-w%3BFRgSNAIdUeoj-w%3BFWONNgIdyAsq-w%3BFSmwNwIdcjUq-w%3BFUSGOAIdoPwr-w%3BFZyROQIdMtEu-w%3BFbJKPQId8kk3-w%3BFYzWQAIdBHA7-w%3BFXJkSgIdFPBA-w%3B%3BFR6cTQIdRpVC-w%3BFZJ6UAIdKMJE-w%3BFcKrUwId2MVD-w&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=10&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12&sll=38.503176,-79.537239&sspn=0.070259,0.154495&ie=UTF8&ll=38.503176,-79.537239&spn=0.070259,0.154495&t=p" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

Thanks!

Nice route Ted, Thanks!

Rally to Blue Ridge to Roanoke then 220 north to Warm Springs where you catch
rt 39 in warm springs. that takes you over to 219 then North to the rally in the valley. Some of the best roads you will ever ride are 220 39 and 219. 219 is also great from the route you talked about but if you have the time do this I guarantee it will be a blast.

Blue Grass, VA

Ted said:

Rt. 640 will take you through Bluegrass to H17/Snowey Mountain Road and then to Cherry Grove to a right turn on Rt. 28 that will take you up to Seneca Rocks and yet more photo opportunities. Hang a left on the wonderfully twisty Rt. 33 there (stop in at the general store for a refresher first) then a right in Harman on Rt. 32 and the short hop to Canaan Valley.

Here is a GoogleMap of it.

<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Lakeview+St&daddr=N+Main+St%2FUS-11%2FVA-16+to:BF+Buchanan+Hwy%2FVA-16+to:N+Scenic+Hwy%2FUS-52+to:N+Scenic+Hwy%2FUS-52+to:VA-61+toark+Dr%2FVA-61+to:VA-311+to:N+Alleghany+Ave%2FUS-220+to:US-250+to:38.49928,-79.548225+to:Snowy+Mtn+to:US-33%2FWV-28+to:WV-32&hl=en&geocode=FaixKwIdHm0V-w%3BFUQjMgIdLEsk-w%3BFRgSNAIdUeoj-w%3BFWONNgIdyAsq-w%3BFSmwNwIdcjUq-w%3BFUSGOAIdoPwr-w%3BFZyROQIdMtEu-w%3BFbJKPQId8kk3-w%3BFYzWQAIdBHA7-w%3BFXJkSgIdFPBA-w%3B%3BFR6cTQIdRpVC-w%3BFZJ6UAIdKMJE-w%3BFcKrUwId2MVD-w&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=10&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12&sll=38.503176,-79.537239&sspn=0.070259,0.154495&ie=UTF8&ll=38.503176,-79.537239&spn=0.070259,0.154495&t=p&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=Lakeview+St&daddr=N+Main+St%2FUS-11%2FVA-16+to:BF+Buchanan+Hwy%2FVA-16+to:N+Scenic+Hwy%2FUS-52+to:N+Scenic+Hwy%2FUS-52+to:VA-61+toark+Dr%2FVA-61+to:VA-311+to:N+Alleghany+Ave%2FUS-220+to:US-250+to:38.49928,-79.548225+to:Snowy+Mtn+to:US-33%2FWV-28+to:WV-32&hl=en&geocode=FaixKwIdHm0V-w%3BFUQjMgIdLEsk-w%3BFRgSNAIdUeoj-w%3BFWONNgIdyAsq-w%3BFSmwNwIdcjUq-w%3BFUSGOAIdoPwr-w%3BFZyROQIdMtEu-w%3BFbJKPQId8kk3-w%3BFYzWQAIdBHA7-w%3BFXJkSgIdFPBA-w%3B%3BFR6cTQIdRpVC-w%3BFZJ6UAIdKMJE-w%3BFcKrUwId2MVD-w&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=10&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12&sll=38.503176,-79.537239&sspn=0.070259,0.154495&ie=UTF8&ll=38.503176,-79.537239&spn=0.070259,0.154495&t=p" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

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Coincidentally, our local club (BlueRidgeBeemers.org) rode this very stretch of road on our "1st Sunday" ride yesterday. I second Ted's recommendation to take a short detour off US-220 for a leisurely ride through Blue Grass, Virginia. Route 640 is a nice ride with little traffic and some spectacular scenery! Being relatively narrow and not having the smoothest possible pavement, 640 is not really a "fast" road like 220, but it's very enjoyable nonetheless. You won't be disappointed unless you have no interest in riding through isolated valleys with quaint family farms perched alongside rolling hills and stunningly green pastures.

Also +1 on the US-220/US-33 route to Seneca Rocks, Harman, and Canaan Valley if you're heading to the RA rally from points south. Nice sweepers with sufficient opportunities to pass slower-moving traffic, should you be so inclined.

-MTS