Midland Trail - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 1017

Drive 110
Midland Trail
In the rugged mountains of lower West Virginia, where wild rivers race between
towering cliffs, the twists and turns along the narrow ribbon of Rte. 60 offer irres-
istible temptations to slow down and savor the views.
Length: About 120 miles, plus side trips
When to go: Popular year-round
Nearby attraction: Greenbrier State Forest,withhiking,camping, andswimming, four
miles south of White Sulphur Springs
Not to be missed: BridgeDay,whentheNewRiverGorgeBridgeisopentopedestrians
and BASE jumpers. Held the third Saturday in October.
Further information: West Virginia Division of Tourism
www.wvtourism.com
1. Charleston
Though the Midland Trail's official route was expanded a few years ago and now starts in
Huntington, we will begin the drive in Charleston. (Purists may want to visit Huntington to
see the B & O Railway Station, Old Central City, Huntington Museum of Art, and the old-
time amusements of Camden Park.)
The old James River—Kanawha Turnpike, built to link Richmond, Virginia, with Char-
leston, West Virginia, followed the course of an old bison path that later became an Indian
trail across the Alleghenies. Today the two-lane road (Rte. 60) is known as the Midland
Trail.