Highland Scenic Highway

West Virginia

National Scenic Byway

Map

Byway Details

Designation
National Scenic Byway
Length
45 mi in West Virginia

About Highland Scenic Highway

Highland Scenic Highway is a 44.6-mile scenic drive in the Gauley Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. The route passes through Richwood, the only town along the way. September is a comfortable time to drive it. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Richwood show highs around 72°F and lows near 53°F, with fewer wet days than most of the year. October is similar, with highs in the low 60s. Several trails start right along the highway, including Bruffey Reserve Trail, Black Mountain Trail and High Rocks Trail #409, all within about a tenth of a mile. Tea Creek Campground sits about 0.8 miles off the route.

Scenic byway data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–78°F and lows of 39–60°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Richwood 1sse, WV weather station, 1.5 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan38° high20° low
  2. Feb41° high22° low
  3. Mar48° high29° low
  4. Apr60° high39° low
  5. May68° high48° low
  6. Jun74° high56° low
  7. Jul78° high60° low
  8. Aug77° high59° low
  9. Sep72° high53° low
  10. Oct63° high43° low
  11. Nov51° high33° low
  12. Dec42° high25° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Towns along the route
Richwood

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Monongahela National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 2 miles of the route, PostGIS distance)

    Highland Scenic Highway — Scenic drive in West Virginia | Roamze