Wonderful Ride on US-33

[Shoop]

Yesterday I managed to take care of a troublesome errand and to visit a road that I've been meaning to try out. I live in Parkersburg WV near the western end of the state and needed to get funds to a Bank of America and the closest one was Harrisonburg, VA. This was for my daughter's rent in San Diego - but that's not the story. Anyway, I've been meaning to hit US-33 and have been on parts closer to home. But I've heard and can report that the very best of twisty goodness for this road is on the far eastern part where it crosses the last and highest of the ridges in this part of the Alleghenys then goes down into Virginia, or as we call it here from the western side, East Virginia.

I have some shots from the return trip, that I'll post later. 

For now, here are some Google Map links.

Here's the map overview. Long valley sweepers, then HOLY COW!, then long valley, not many sweepers.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sp...7db2e63642ed2a


Here's a link to the street view along the side of the road in VA, heading up to the first set of curves. 

I looked for this because the sign in this spot yesterday was a lot more EXPRESSIVE. It said something like "MOTORCYCLISTS! MANY CRASHES ON NEXT 4 1/2 MILES" The Use Caution" sign in the pic apparently wasn't doing it. I noticed that every curve seemed to have glittery bits of glass shards in the road and on the side. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5790...7i13312!8i6656

Unfortunately, I had to ride 2 hours to get to the start of this stuff. The quickest way is on the US-50 slab then I-79, which is what I used yesterday. There are MANY other more interesting routes, but they would have taken too long - yesterday. I might have to move to Elkins. 

 

Chris

[Connie14]

I rode through there about a month ago, and there is some good riding down there. I took US33 from Columbus to Harrisonburg to get to the Outer Banks. US33 gets nice a little east of Ripley, WV, but east of Elkins is great! US250 also has some good riding. Beware that in VA, anything over 80mph is a reckless op, and you have to appear in court. They won't let you just mail in the fine.

[Chuck78]

Yes!!! basically just outside of Harman West Virginia after a nice long forested gradual uphill climb for miles, as soon as you see a sign saying entering Pendleton County, you immediately go around the next curve and your jaw drops from the incredible mountain views as you descend down rapidly the other side as you are rapidly dropping some serious elevation with a couple of very amazing horseshoe curves. The "trucks MUST use pull off lane to check brakes" sign tips you off a bit at the awesomeness.

After that, you get to Seneca Rocks and then cut through Judy Gap and up another mountain with a lot more curves and steep grade than that first climb. Very fun up & down. Then as he said, long valley with lots of hills and lesser elevation changes, good easy curves. Then...wow. Shenandoah mountain climb to the VA border, and then descent down the other side. The holy grail of eastern United States mountain passes and twisties. Pictures don't do it justice, the grade of the road and the awesome banked turns are just incredible in person. The first time we rode this, we were so giddy we had to turn around and do it again, as it seemed as if it was built as a motorcycle playground or race track! Nonstop awesome curves and amazing views! after that there is a very long with Valley through Shenandoah National Forest and into Harrisonburg. Skyline Drive is quite a ways from there much further east, and is almost a sole mountain range standing on its own.

250 over basically the same Ridge as the absolute most amazing part of 33 is almost equal to that part of 33. the border between the Virginia's jumps West quite a bit down there, so it is entirely in Virginia, where Shenandoah mountain is split at the ridge between the two states.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Chuck78

[Chuck78]

if you saw some pictures, you would question how wide the road is, three lanes total? the uphill sections have passing lanes so that slow vehicles can get over & us motorcyclists can enjoy it! This is no way affects how great the curves are thankfully.

[Chuck78]

WV/VA border overlook on US33

[Chuck78]

Spruce Knob near 33& Seneca Rocks

[Chuck78]

Photo stolen from a Google image search, North Fork mountain, North a ways from the crossing of US33 near Seneca Rocks.

More of north fork Mtn a bit closer to Seneca Rocks, taken from a very rugged hiking trail last September. Every time I climbed up to the ridge to catch a view from nearly any point on this incredible remote and rugged hiking trail, it looked perfectly picturesque just like this with rays of sunshine beaming down

Edited August 5, 2015 by Chuck78

[Chuck78]

Original poster, more photos, please!? I am in love with that area.

[Earache]

_{A few piccies of US33 - headed west - from a trip to Washington DC a couple of years ago...}

 

I rode it on a weekday and there was no traffic at all for the entire length. Kinda weird but wonderful at the same time.

[Chuck78]

Here ya go. Google Terrain layer map view is the best. this is Shenandoah mountain on the West Virginia and Virginia border, the border is directly on the ridge at the top. It is nearly a 2,000 foot climb and descent up and down this mountain. Just to the north of the road crossing up the ridge is a knob with an elevation of around around 4000-something feet. reddish knob to the south a little ways is much higher, 4400 feet or something. FlagpOle Knob and Bother Knob are nearest Reddish. High Knob is right in the vicinity above Skidmore Lake on the VA side partway down the mountain.

[Chuck78]

THIS ROAD IS SIMPLY AWESOME. Truly amazing. Great views, too. Pretty much anywhere in Pendleton County West Virginia is an amazing view, spilling over into Grant County next door. Germany Valley, Spruce Knob, Seneca Rocks, Nelson Rocks (wow, the guided climbing course...) Champe Rocks,Seneca Caverns, Smoke Hole Caverns, Stratosphere Balloon Cave, pretty much any roadside view, anywhere there, period.

[electrode]

I have ridden Rt 33 a few times and it is one of my favorite roads to ride. My son lives in Richmond Va. so I basically jump on 33 south of Columbus and ride it to Richmond. Highly recommend!

Route 250 is a great road as well, but was pretty rough towards the river.

[Pokey]

Oh how I love to ride in West Virginia.

[smccrory]

WV is great, but that 60 mile stretch from Columbus into Athens is BORING.  God I hate that portion.

[Wahoo]

Rt 33  is a great ride.  We did it twice over memorial day weekend, down to and back from Harrisonburg.   Hope to get down there again before the end of the riding season. 

[Chuck78]

Me, too... if hitting that area, try & map a route there that goes more Southeast in Ohio and then link up with the Dry Fork Rd portion of WV-72 that drops you off near Harman WV & US33 where it gets real good. Look at the section adjacent to Canaan Valley where it twists in and out of the rippled folds of the side of the plateau/mountain for a good 10-15 miles. Very narrow very very twisty tight desolate road. Keep the speed down, it's a tricky one unless you know it well. 72 is pretty casual up to that point.

[Chuck78]

This:

[Chuck78]

I have some shots from the return trip, that I'll post later.

Chris

Well...??? More photos, please?!

Edited August 9, 2015 by Chuck78

[Shoop]

Chuck - Sorry, I was driving with my daughter to get her and her car to San Diego for grad school. I'm back now!

 

I only took a few. 

 

Here's a shot from near the crest looking west. I was waiting for the road to re-open after an accident was cleared up. 

 

 

 

Here's a shot from an overlook about half-way down the west side. 

 

 

 

Here's a shot of Seneca Rocks taken from the porch on the trading post.

 

 

 

Here's a shot from,,,, oh wait,,, that was Anza Borrego in the Sonoran Desert  - taken from an overlook 1400 ft above the desert floor.