Basics
- Length:
- 20 miles (32 km)
- Time:
- 1 hour to drive the byway, but take several hours to enjoy the trails offered.
Description
Located along the shaded forest roads of the Jefferson and George Washington National Forests, this 20-mile loop travels through lush valleys and overlooks the Allegheny Highlands and Blue Ridge Mountains. With trails weaving through this dense forest, your camera will be the best thing you take with on your trip along the Highlands Scenic Tour.
Exploration is not limited to the roads; there are plenty of opportunities to hike and discover the forest on foot. While walking along the 268-foot Rhododendron Trail, admire 100-year old evergreen rhododendrons. An overlook at the end of the trail gives you a sweeping view of the Rich Hole Wilderness Area. In the summer, you might catch a glimpse of the white tailed deer that prefer the cooler areas that the elevation brings.
The rocks at the top of Cocks Comb Trail give this path its name, as the view from the valley below resembles that of a rooster's comb. Seas and shorelines covered this area more than 400 million years ago. See for yourself the effects of time on the environment during your hike to the jagged sandstone rocks at the top of this steep trail. These formations are evidence of ancient lake shores that have repeatedly compressed and eroded over millions of years.
The view from the North Mountain Overlook Trail affords sweeping vistas of pastures, homes, Lake Robertson, and the forests below. In the distance you can see the distinctive peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This land has been settled and used for hundred of years.
When you stop by Colonel Jordan Wayside, walk along the first road to cross North Mountain to the west. Hand-built rock walls guide you down this historic road, built in 1826 by Colonel John Jordan.
Take a trip to the site of an early iron mining operation at Campbell Fields, where Longdale Mines Village stood during the 19th century. Once a busy town with the smell of smoke heavy in the air from the charcoal hearths and immense pig iron furnaces, all that remains are parts of the mines, iron furnaces, and narrow-gauge railroad operations.
Your trip isn't limited to driving and hiking; several places in the forest provide areas for camping, fishing, and picnicking. After a day of walking the trails, listen to the soothing sounds of water running through a stream, cook up a freshly-caught fish, and relax under the soothing light of the stars.
