We rode motorcycle across the Highland Scenic Highway as part of our long get away weekend. I left this and another road off those posts as they deserve their own discussion. In a nutshell, if you are anywhere near this road you owe it to yourself to enjoy this ride.
It is not a technical, twisty motorcycle road but fun in its own way. It is more like the Blue Ridge Parkway or Skyline Drive, 43 miles of ridge top riding with spectacular views and vistas. Just a sit back, relax and enjoy kind of road.
The Highland Scenic Highway runs from Richwood WV to US Route 219, or vice versa. The highway is also an “American Byway” that rolls through Monongahela National Forest. We were a week or two early for the peek fall foliage displays but if you time it right it is going to be a wow moment with all the hardwood forests on leafy display. There are 4 overlooks to stop and view undeveloped wilderness, not all had open facilities, but each had paved parking and picnic areas.
As for the road itself, it was well maintained with mostly rolling ridge top riding. Toward the 
northern end there was a long, steep incline, parts of which are 9% or (seems) greater! With over two thousand feet of elevation change, I had the motorcycle in 3rd gear and used engine braking for what felt like miles of decent. Had the day not been getting late and the shadows long, I would have turned around and rode the Highland Scenic Highway again.
Make sure your tank is topped off before riding, while it is relatively short there are no fuel or snacks along the route. This road would make for a nice picnic ride, pack your lunch in, stop at an overlook or trail head (there are a lot of hiking trails) for a fun afternoon.
This Scenic Highway is not as easy to get to as most others, it really is in the middle of nowhere. However, the roads you need to take to get to this byway are just as fun as any we have rode. If this area and the Highland Scenic Highway are not on your motorcycling bucket list, you need to add them right now!
One of the neat things about this ride is the fact that the tourism/visitor centers for each of the counties have worked together to “lure” motorcyclist on to the byway. If you desire you can download a “passport” from the 
store, 
Back on the bike we were off to our next destination. This portion of our motorcycle ride was through a mountain valley, the view from the saddle showed that fall is upon us. The beginning of fall is well marked with the spots of color scattered across the mountainsides. It was not long before we made it to Webb’s General Store for our next passport stamp AND a glass bottle of Dr. Pepper with real sugar! OMG was it good! Even if you don’t ride your motorcycle the length of the Byway, the ride through Rockbridge and Bath counties in Virginia is worth your time.
the rollercoaster until we dropped back into another valley and entered the town of Marlinton (don’t add a G, they even have a song or poem about not adding the G). The 
The rest of the ride was much like the first, whipping the bike through the mountains and relaxed cruising along valley or ridgetop roads. More wonderful views and fresh mountain air all around. So enough we arrived in Summerville and the end of our Appalachian Waters Scenic Byway but not our weekend.
were quickly riding our motorcycle on the Washington Heritage Trail. There are 
Our motorcycle tour of the Washington Heritage Trail started into the Appalachian Mountains shortly after passing through Martinsburg on WV Route 9. Steep accents and deep valley roads brought us to the little town of 
WV. A four way stop intersection and a blink and you have rolled past. Climbing and deciding another mountain and we were back into the Shenandoah and heading towards the 136 mile marker and the end of the Washington Heritage Trail. 
Shortly after crossing into WV you head into the Appalachian Mountains. These mountain roads are some twisty fun for a motorcycle! Swooping around turns, quick climbs and steep descents (up to a 9% grade) with spectacular views from the mountain tops and rolling farmland in the valleys make this a route, in my opinion, as much fun as any of the roads around the Tail of the Dragon. By the way I dragged the floorboards of the bike a few times without even trying!
I had forgotten that Route 50 passed into Maryland for a few miles so today we traveled in 4 states. When we left Maryland and rode the motorcycle back into WV Route 50 also became the 
We did make a side trip to Cairo … I am still taking my wife to all the 
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 