THE CAROLINAS REGION 2007 SPRING TOUR OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA

The Carolinas Region 2007 Spring Tour began and ended at McKeever Lodge in Pipestone State Park, which is located in southern West Virginia. It included an all-day drive through the hills of West Virginia with stops at Bramwell, Twin Falls State Park, and Tamarack. You can make this trip yourself by following the directions below (Thanks to Vincent Bray of the Carolinas Region). The mountains are relatively cool, so preferred times for this trip are from late spring through early fall, and especially when central Virginia is very hot. One caveat: The roads are quite twisty, and some passengers may experience motion sickness.

To get to Pipestem State Park from central Virginia, follow I-64 west 52 miles into West Virginia and take exit 139 onto Route 20 south, which will lead you through several small towns (Sandstone, Brooks, Barksdale, Hinton) to the entrance of Pipestem State Park.

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1. Starting at McKeever Lodge (photo), drive to the Pipestem exit. Zero your odometer just prior to turning right onto SR-20 [mile 0.0]. Stay on SR-20 for 22.7 miles, passing through Athens and Princeton. Watch for SR-20 South signs and make the appropriate turns.
2. Turn left [mile 22.7] onto CR-23, Littlesburg Road. Just before this left turn, Tabor Road will be on the right and then Hurricane Ridge Road will be on the left. Stay on CR-23, Littlesburg Road, for 3.4 miles. 3. At the stop sign [mile 26.4] you will be at the intersection of US-52. Turn left onto US-52 and take an immediate right, down the hill. Stay on CR-11 for 0.4 miles. 4. At the stop sign [mile 26.8] turn right onto CR-123, Brushfork Road, for 3.1 miles. 5. At the stop sign [mile 29.9] turn right onto SR-102, Falls Mill Road, for 5.3 miles.
6. Just past the Citgo station [mile 35.2], turn right onto CR-644/CR-120, Bramwell–Pocahontas Road, for 2.8 miles. Stay on CR-120, Bramwell–Pocahontas Road, to downtown Bramwell [mile 38.0]. The restored train depot (photo) will be on your left.
7. Park and walk from the train depot into downtown Bramwell.
8. Bramwell once contained more millionaire coal barons than any other town in West Virginia. Find some of their mansions. This one contains two stained-glass windows.
9. This is a "prairie style" home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
10. Here is another well-preserved mansion in Bramwell. 11. Leaving the train depot in Bramwell, continue on CR-120 for 0.7 miles. Drive under US-52 [mile 38.7]; the road changes to CR-15, Montcalm Road. Continue for 5.3 miles. The is a one-lane road for the first mile or so.
12. At the stop sign [mile 44.0] turn left onto SR-71 for 8.5 miles. This is another narrow, curvy road. 13. At the stop sign [mile 52.5] turn left onto SR-10 for 20.2 miles. You are now in real WV.
14. At the stop sign [mile 72.7] turn left, staying on SR-10 for 10.9 miles. Follow the signs to Twin Falls Resort Park. 15. Turn right [mile 83.6] onto SR-97, Twin Falls Road, for 7.1 miles. Continue straight on CR-4 [mile 90.7] for 3.8 miles. You have entered Twin Falls Resort Park. Turn right [mile 94.5] just before the club house and continue 2.0 miles to picnic shelter #3 for lunch.
16. Leaving the picnic shelter, rezero your trip odometer [mile 0.0] and return toward the Club House. 17. Coming down the hill, just before the Club House, is a sharp right downhill turn [mile 1.7]. Make this turn and continue for 2.2 miles. 18. At the stop sign [mile 3.9] turn left onto SR-97 for 3.5 miles. 19. Just before the Exxon station [mile 7.4] turn right onto CR-5, McGraws Road, for 4.4 miles.
20. At the stop sign [mile 11.8] turn right onto CR-1, Glen Fork Road, for 2.6 miles. 21. Immediately after crossing the railroad tracks [mile 14.4] in Glen Rogers, turn left onto CR-15, Bolt Road, for 5.5 miles. This road has no name/road sign. 22. At the stop sign [mile 19.9] turn right onto SR-99 for 4.5 miles. 23. After the stop light in Glen Daniel [mile 24.4] continue straight on SR-3 for 100 yards and stop at the Dairy Queen on the right.
24. Leaving the Dairy Queen [mile 24.6] turn right onto SR-3 for 1.4 miles. 25. Turn right onto SR-305 [mile 26.0] for 2.9 miles. 26. At the stop sign [mile 28.9] turn left onto SR-54, Glenview Road, for 3.3 miles. 27. At the stop light [mile 32.2] turn left onto SR-16, Robert Byrd Drive, for 3.5 miles.
28. Merge into the right lane and proceed onto I-77 North/Charleston [mile 35.7]. There is no toll on this "toll" road. 29. At exit 45 [mile 39.5] follow the signs to Tamarack (after you exit on the right, you will turn left and cross over I-77. At the stop sign turn left, and Tamarack is the circular building with the red roof on the right (photo). 30. Leaving Tamarack, exit left [mile 41.0]. Follow the signs to Bluefield and Lewisburg. 31. You will be on I-77 South. Keep right and take exit 44, Beckley/SR-3 [mile 41.5].
32. Turn left at the light [mile 42.9]. Merge into the right lane. Stay on SR-3 East for 2.2 miles. 33. After crossing the four-lane road (SR-16) [mile 45.1], turn right and continue on SR-3 East for 6.2 miles. Watch for the SR-3 East signs and make appropriate turns. 34. There will be a Shell Station on the right [mile 51.3]. Past the Shell Station turn right on SR-3 for 2.1 miles. 35. At the stop sign in Hinton [mile 67.6] turn right onto SR-20 for 5.9 miles.
36. Turn right [mile 73.5] onto CR-18, True Road, for 6.9 miles. This is the first right after crossing the bridge. It will be a gentle right turn, up the hill. 37. To right onto St. Clain Road [mile 80.4]. This road has no name/road sign. On the left is a white concrete-block garage and a house with a tan stone facade, and on the right are two red newspaper boxes. St. Clain road will take you back into Pipestem State Park. 38. Return to McKeever Lodge and enjoy looking over the gorge at sunset (photo).