Summer on the Highland Scenic Highway, Part 1: Highway to Almost Heaven.
From Richwood in the west to its intersection with US 219 in the east, the Highland Scenic Highway traverses some of the wildest and most beautiful mountain country remaining in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, including the highest peaks of the Yew Mountains. A portion of the highway runs along the spruce-clad summit of Black Mountain at about 4,500 feet (1372 meters) above sea level, providing grand views of the Greenbrier River Valley to the east and the Cranberry River Drainage to the west. And one of the largest backpacking areas in the eastern United States, the Cranberry Wilderness, borders a long stretch of the road.
The boreal forest on top of Red Spruce Knob, the highest point of the Yew Mountains, offers a glimpse into the primeval world that existed here before the logging companies arrived and annihilated the virgin red spruce and northern hardwood forest. In more open areas along the highway, the great summer wildflowers, including our magnificent native lilies, are now starting to bloom.