# Highland Scenic Highway, WV



## DaveFromWV

The Highland Scenic Highway (Rt 150) in Pocahontas County, WV is a great place for road riding not only because it has some of the more beautiful views in the state, it is closed to commercial traffic, and it is not plowed/treated in the winter which means nice smooth pavement.

Each side starts at about 3,500 ft and travels up to ~4,500 ft. In the middle it drops down to the Williams River right at 3,000 ft and offers a magnificent (and by that I mean painful) 1,500 ft climb back up to 4,500 ft. From one side to the other is roughly 22 miles. Out and back it's about 45 miles and 6,000 ft of total climbing. A little painful, BUT....you WILL NOT find a more beautiful ride pretty much anywhere.

This was my 1st ride that required so much climbing, but I managed to make it all of the way. The road never seems to get just too steep to climb. On the way back the 1,500 ft climb over ~5 miles is brutal. It was definitely the 1st time that I've ever spent 35 minutes just a few beats below my max heart rate. 

Oh yeah, it's a nice (and painless) drive in the car!!

Leaving from here in Lewisburg, WV, it takes less than 1 hour to be at the Cranberry Mtn Nature Center, which is right across the street from the South side of Rt 150. 2 fellow classmates and I made it out yesterday to brave a little wind and cold for an absolutely beautiful day.

Here's my Garmin data from our ride yesterday. Not too bad for a few med students..

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/51281565 


Didn't take many, but here are a few shots.


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## sidi45

Thanks for the report. That's on my list of rides to do as I'm sometimes in that area, as well as Lewisburg (good training on Muddy Creek mountain).


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## DaveFromWV

Yeah, Muddy Creek is brutal.


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## links0311

The Highland Scenic Highway is for girls. I did it once on a 53X12 and felt great.


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## DaveFromWV

links0311 said:


> The Highland Scenic Highway is for girls. I did it once on a 53X12 and felt great.


You couldn't do the Scenic Highway in your Honda minivan.


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## links0311

That was below the belt. My minivan is sweet.


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## Sirveyir

My wife and I did 20 miles out and back from Cranberry a couple of years ago. There is so little traffic that it was a little creepy. I was feeling a bit vulnerable. Go in a group. It is not the Blue Ridge Parkway. I preferred the Greenbrier Trail on the mtnb and a canoe float on the river. Stayed at a wonderful B&B in Marlinton, Locust Hill B&B. Highly recommended.


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