Getting Around West Virginia

Drive times exceed what the map suggests

West Virginia is the only state entirely within the Appalachian mountains, and its roads follow creeks and ridges rather than straight lines. Sixty road miles can take two hours. Always check actual drive times rather than estimating from a map, especially between the Highlands and the New River Gorge.

The main corridors

I-79 runs north–south through the center. I-64 crosses the south from Charleston to Lewisburg and on to Virginia. I-77 and the West Virginia Turnpike run Charleston to Princeton. I-68 crosses the north through Morgantown. US 19 links I-79 to I-64 through Summersville and Fayetteville, and is the main artery of the New River Gorge. US 219 is the north–south spine of the Highlands and is slow, beautiful and often the only option.

Gravel and forest roads

Much of the best access — Dolly Sods, Cranberry, Seneca Creek, the Highlands generally — is at the end of a forest service road. Many are rough, some are seasonally closed, and a few are hard on a low-clearance car. Forest Road 75 to Bear Rocks is the most notorious. Check Monongahela National Forest road status before committing.

Fuel and services

Plan fuel stops deliberately in Pocahontas, Randolph, Pendleton and Webster counties. Long stretches have nothing, and what exists may close early or on Sundays. Carry more water and food than the day requires.

Cell service

Assume none in the Highlands, the wilderness areas, the gorges and the National Radio Quiet Zone. Download offline maps in Gaia, onX or Avenza before you leave a signal. A satellite messenger is not overkill for wilderness trips here.

Getting here without a car

Amtrak's Cardinal serves Charleston, Montgomery, Thurmond, Prince, Hinton and White Sulphur Springs three days a week — one of the few long-distance trains in America useful for reaching a national park. MARC and Amtrak reach Harpers Ferry from Washington. Airports at Charleston, Morgantown, Clarksburg and Lewisburg are small; many visitors fly into Pittsburgh, Washington Dulles or Roanoke.

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