Winding through the heart of West Virginia’s Allegheny Highlands, the Highland Scenic Highway offers 43 miles of unspoiled mountain wilderness that rivals any drive in the eastern United States. This National Scenic Byway climbs from Fenwick on WV 39 to elevations exceeding 4,500 feet, delivering sweeping panoramas of the Monongahela National Forest.

The journey reveals a tapestry of dense hardwood forests, exposed rock outcroppings, and pristine mountain bogs found nowhere else in the region. Four stunning overlooks punctuate the route, each offering views that stretch for miles across rolling peaks and valleys. Stop at Cranberry Glades, a unique botanical area featuring rare tundra-like ecosystems, or explore the Falls of Hills Creek, where three cascading waterfalls reward a short hike.

Autumn transforms this byway into a spectacular corridor of gold, orange, and crimson, making late September through mid-October the premier season to visit. Summer brings cooler mountain temperatures and wildflower meadows, while winter occasionally closes higher elevations.

Allow two to three hours for the drive, longer if you plan to hike or linger at overlooks. With no commercial development along the route, pack provisions and fuel up beforehand—then lose yourself in one of Appalachia’s most pristine mountain escapes.

Explore Nearby

• Droop MountainBattlefield — State Park in West Virginia
• Watoga State Park — State Park in West Virginia
• Monongahela National Forest — National Forest in West Virginia
• George Washington and Jefferson National Forest — National Forest in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky
• Wood Thrush Trail — Public Land in Virginia