Best Motorcycle Rides

Stops along the route in order:

Pricketts Fort State Park
88 State Park Rd, Fairmont, WV 26554
Watch Colonial characters creating period crafts, and demonstrating frontier life at this living history museum. The original Prickett’s Fort served as a refuge area from Native American war parties in Colonial Virginia. When there was a threat of Native American uprising, families would seek refuge in the fort. The Pricketts Fort Memorial Foundation recreated the fort in 1976. The rustic log fort is situated along a beautiful ridge overlooking the confluence of Prickett’s Creek and the Monongahela River.

Cathedral State Park
12 Cathedral Way, Aurora, WV 26705
Spot trees up to 90 feet high and 21 feet wide in this 133-acre ancient and majestic hemlock forest in the Appalachian highlands. The park boasts 170 species of vascular flora, including ferns, club moss, 30 types of trees and 50 kinds of wildflowers. Entrance to the park is free.

Blackwater Falls State Park
1584 Blackwater Lodge Road Davis, WV 26260
Watch the Blackwater River plunge, twist and turn through an eight-mile long mountain gorge. The unique amber-colored water of the Blackwater River is a result of tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles.

Canaan Valley Resort State Park
230 Main Lodge Road, Davis, WV 26260
Canaan Valley is the highest mountain valley east of the Rocky Mountains, with a base level of 3,100 feet. The resort is perched on a plateau overlooking the rolling valley.

• [TIP] The state park is packed with deer, but feeding and interacting with them is strongly discouraged by the DNR. Keep an eye out and drive slowly!

PLAN AROUND:

Annual Leaf Peeper Festival
Davis, West Virginia, 26260
Celebrate the blazing colors of autumn in the quaint mountain town of Davis. This long-running annual festival features inflatables, wood carving and glass blowing demonstrations, a craft and food fair, live music, horseback rides and more.

Brew Skies Festival
254 Four Seasons Dr., Davis, WV 26260
Stop in Canaan Valley for the evening and taste beers from all across the state in one location, while taking in some live music against a stunning backdrop. Enjoy this family-friendly event featuring craft and food vendors every year in July.

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Barrackville Covered Bridge
Barrackville, WV 26559
Stop for a look at the Barrackville Covered Bridge, a 148-foot single-lane modified Burr truss bridge built by some of the state’s pioneer bridge builders, Eli and Lemuel Chenoweth, in 1853.

Muriale’s Restaurant
1742 Fairmont Avenue, Fairmont, WV 26554
Motorcycles aren’t the only things that need fuel to run. Grab some pasta at this award-winning family-owned Italian restaurant.

Country Club Bakery
1211 Country Club Road, Fairmont WV
Try out a state staple, pepperoni rolls, at the bakery where they were invented! Giuseppe “Joseph” Argiro, an Italian immigrant coal miner, whipped up the specialty when he was seeking a convenient lunch to take underground. The pepperoni roll became so popular with his fellow miners that Giuseppe quit the coal mines and started this bakery in 1927.

Smoke Hole Caverns
413 N Fork Hwy, Cabins, WV 26855
Explore the underground at Smoke Hole Caverns, which was named for the slow burning wood fires the Seneca Indians would use at the front of the cave to smoke wild game. The caves feature a year-round temperature of 56 degrees.

Dolly Sods Wilderness
Monongahela National Forest
Stop off for a hike and some of the most spectacular scenery in the East. The high Allegheny plateaus offer views of sweeping valley vistas and are made up of wind-carved sandstone, stunted spruce, grassy meadows and bogs.

• [TIP] Dolly Sods is known for having unique and often unpredictable weather patterns— high winds on the plateau can create quite a wind chill.

The Purple Fiddle
96 East Avenue, Thomas, WV 26292
This casual restaurant hosts live music almost nightly and boasts 50 top-notch micro-brewed beers, including four West Virginia-brewed beers on tap. They’re also known for their homemade ice cream!

• [TIP] Lodging is available at the Purple Fiddle if you wish to stop before making the trek back The Purple Fiddle Hostel and the Fiddler’s Roost Guesthouse are both located on historic Front Street overlooking the North Fork of the Blackwater River.

Stops along the route in order:

Tomaro’s Bakery
411 N. Fourth Street, Clarksburg, WV 26301
Stock up on baked goods at Clarksburg’s classic Tomaro’s Bakery. This family-owned bakery has been producing the area’s finest Italian breads, buns, pizza shells and pepperoni rolls for more than 100 years.

Minard’s Spaghetti Inn
813 E Pike St, Clarksburg, WV 26301
Fuel up with some spaghetti and meatballs, fettuccine alfredo or manicotti before hitting the road. Minard’s has been serving up homemade Italian fare since 1937.

Sunset Drive-In Theater
2643 Horners Run Rd, Shinnston, WV 26431
On your way back, stop in for a double feature at one of the state’s last surviving drive-ins. Spread out on the lawn with a bucket of popcorn and enjoy a movie like they did in the 1950s.

• [TIP] The drive-in is only open during warm months. Check their website or Facebook page to see hours and which features are playing.

ALSO SEE:

Clarksburg Civil War markers
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Clarksburg  is home to 5 Civil War Trails markers. A marker located across from the courthouse plaza marks the birthplace of “Stonewall” Jackson, Lt. General CSA who lived between 1834 and 1863. The house, where he was born, stood in what is now downtown Clarksburg.

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WV Italian Heritage Festival
340 W Main St, Clarksburg, WV 26301
The festival has been named one of the “Top 100 Events in North America” by the American Bus Association. Each September since 1979, the festival honoring Clarksburg’s rich Italian heritage has grown and grown into what it is today— a 3-day party including delicious food, games and entertainment.  

Stops along the route in order:

Barrackville Covered Bridge
Barrackville, WV 26559
Stop for a look at the historic Barrackville Covered Bridge, a 148-foot single-lane modified Burr truss bridge built by some of the state’s pioneer bridge builders, Eli and Lemuel Chenoweth, in 1853. The bridge was renovated to its original glory in the late 1990s.

Hamilton Round Barn
338 Flaggy Meadow Dr. Mannington, West Virginia 26582
Hamilton Round Barn is a historic round barn built in 1911, measuring 66 feet in diameter and 75 feet high at the center. Until the 1940s, it housed a dairy operation, which delivered milk daily to the surrounding area. The barn was purchased by the West Augusta Historical Society in 1983, and is now a museum— the only round barn museum in the state!

ALSO SEE:

The Poky Dot
1111 Fairmont Avenue, Fairmont, WV
This whimsical ‘50s-style diner will not disappoint. The Poky Dot has food for all ages and tastes, from classic hot dogs and hamburgers, to quesadillas and salads. Some of their specialty items are humongous— definitely made to share!

• [TIP] Try the state’s best breakfast, according to the Food Network: the “He Man Breakfast.”The dish, served up on a fresh garbage can lid, includes 4 eggs, 4 pancakes, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, ham, fried potatoes, and toast. If you can eat it all in less than 60 minutes, you get a free shirt.

Our Back Porch Ice Cream N More
914 E Main St. Mannington, WV 26582
Stop in for a mid-ride snack or a scoop or two of hand-dipped ice cream, a brownie volcano or a milkshake.

Valley Falls State Park
720 Valley Falls Road, Fairmont, WV 26554
Enjoy the beauty of the waterfall and rolling mountain hills at Valley Falls. It’s a perfect spot to stop for a picnic!

PLAN AROUND:

The Sagebrush Round-Up
2580 Bunner Ridge Rd., Fairmont, WV
The Sagebrush Round-Up music hall celebrates Appalachian, country and bluegrass music. Every Saturday, visitors can enter the nostalgic metal building high atop Bunners Ridge for some toe-tapping and boot stomping. Sagebrush Round-Up is alcohol and smoke free.

• [TIP] The Sagebrush Round-Up takes place every Saturday.

Stops along the route in order:

Little Indian Creek Wildlife Management Area
Little Indian Creek Rd Morgantown, WV 26501
Take a break at this beautiful mountain oasis, featuring 1,036 acres of rolling hills. The area exhibits diverse habitats, including reclaimed mine areas, oak-hickory ridge tops, ponds and wetlands. This terrain supports many types of wildlife associated with recreational opportunities such as wildlife watching, hunting, fishing and trapping.

Coopers Rock State Forest
61 County Line Drive, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525
Grab a panoramic view of the Morgantown area and the rolling mountains beyond atop the main overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest. Cooper’s Rock State Forest gets its name from a fugitive who hid from the law near (what is now) the overlook. A cooper by trade, he resumed making barrels at his new mountain hideout, selling them to people in nearby communities. He lived and worked in the forest for many years.

ALSO SEE:

Triple S Harley-Davidson
7300 Willie G Ave, Westover, WV 26501
Stop by the premier Harley dealer in West Virginia to check out their bikes, accessories, parts and collectibles.

• [TIP] Triple S Harley-Davidson often hosts live music and cookouts. Check the event calendar on their website for dates and times.

Black Bear Burritos
3119 University Ave Morgantown, WV 26505
Black Bear Burritos features a host of global flavors wrapped up in tortillas, as well as a wide selection of beers and live music.

Stops along the route in order:

Philippi Covered Bridge
US 250, Philippi, WV 26416
This covered bridge is a historical icon in the small town of Philippi. The double-barreled 286-foot long truss, completed in 1852, served US 250 traffic through floods and other natural disasters. A fire nearly destroyed the bridge in 1989, but it was restored to its original brilliance by Gov. Caperton in 1991.

Seneca Rocks Discovery Center
Roy Gap Rd, Seneca Rocks, WV 26884
This center offers a stunning view of Seneca Rocks, a vertical rock crag dominating the sky nearly 900 feet above. Interpretive programs are offered on weekends throughout the summer season, and traditional Appalachian crafters and artisans do demonstrations on Saturdays in the summer.

ALSO SEE:

Spruce Knob
Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area
Stop for a picnic at Spruce Knob, the state’s highest peak at 4,863 feet above sea level. Atop the rugged peak, visitors can see grassy pastures and forested ridges for miles. Blueberry and huckleberry plants abound.
For a better view, climb the Spruce Knob Tower, located just a half-mile out Whispering Spruce Trail, an easy graveled hike. There are vault toilets, picnic tables and grills available at the base of the tower.

PLAN AROUND:

Mountain State Forest Festival
Elkins, WV
Enjoy a craft beer festival, Irish road bowling, a pet contest, parades, food and live entertainment at The Mountain State Forest Festival, one of the largest and oldest festivals in West Virginia. The festival aims to promote the beauty and splendor of West Virginia’s mountains and valleys in all their autumn glory.