WEST VIRGINIA FALL ROAD TRIP: 3 DAY ITINERARY

If you’re planning a trip to see beautiful fall foliage, I highly recommend considering visiting West Virginia! West Virginia is full of national parks and public lands with stunning fall foliage and it won’t be as crowded as other destinations on the East Coast.

This was my first trip exploring the country roads of West Virginia and I visited the Greenbrier Valley to celebrate the 50th anniversary of John Denver’s beloved tune “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. If you don’t know the song, make sure to give it a listen! Here’s my 3-day road trip itinerary to West Virginia!

WEST VIRGINIA FALL ROAD TRIP

If you’re looking to chase fall foliage. Below is a fall color map to plan your trip to West Virginia. I visited during late September which was still early for the Greenbrier Valley area, I think it still has about 3 more weeks before the peak foliage season this year, so there’s still time to book a last-minute trip. You can follow the live leaf map here.

HOW TO GET TO WEST VIRGINIA

BY FLIGHT

I flew into the Greenbrier Airport (LWB) and rented a car to get around during my trip.

BY CAR

West Virginia is pretty accessible to get to. The state is a day’s drive away from two-thirds of the U.S. population and the region I visited is less than a 4-hour drive from Washington DC and around 7 hours from New York.

WHERE TO STAY

The Greenbrier is one of the most iconic resorts in America, it opened in 1778 with 20 on-site dining options, a private casino, spa, golf courses, two pools and so much more! Guests can easily spend their days at the resort since there are so many great activities on the property.

The resort has a lot of history, after World War II Dorothy Draper redesigned the resort. The resort also offers a bunker tour where guests can tour the emergency Cold War fallout shelter. Once a top-secret U.S. government relocation facility for Congress!

I stayed in the Draper Suite which had two bathrooms, a large living space, and a bedroom. This resort is one of a kind and I highly recommend staying here during your visit to Almost Heaven.

THINGS TO DO

DOWNTOWN LEWISBURG

The historic downtown Lewisburg area is super charming with boutiques, art galleries, and many great dining options. This area is walkable, and it was even featured on Fodor’s Travel “America’s 25 Cutest Main Street in Small(er) Towns” list. Below is a list of cute shops to visit:

Cooper Gallery
Harmony Ridge Gallery
Cybele Boutique
A New Chapter
Bella the Corner Gourmet

GREENBRIER RIVER TRAIL

The Greenbrier River Trail is a must-visit, especially for fall foliage! It’s a great area to hike and ride bikes, and of course, snap picturesque photos. There is absolutely no service here so make sure to add the address to Waze: Greenbrier River Trail, Caldwell, WV 24925

THE HANNA FARMSTEAD

One of my favorite activities during the trip is visiting The Hanna Farmstead! They offer so many fun fall activities for the entire family including a pumpkin house, pumpkin patch, corn maze, flowers and so much more! Don’t forget to pick up some donuts and a pumpkin pie frap!

NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL PARK GIVEAWAY!

I did not get to visit but West Virginia is home to America’s newest national park, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve! If you want to win a fully customizable trip giveaway for you & a guest to West Virginia, enter the giveaway by 10/31 here.

WHERE TO EAT

THE WILD BEAN

For the best coffee and breakfast, head to The Wild Bean! I had their specialty white chocolate mocha and it was amazing.

FOOD & FRIENDS

Food & Friends is a favorite amongst locals and I can see why! This was one of my favorite meals during my trip. I highly recommend ordering the crab dip, salmon salad, and the grilled cheese was also delicious!

STARDUST CAFE

Stardust Cafe is a great dinner location with quality ingredients, fresh local vegetables, and local artisan bread. I recommend the curry chicken and the lunch menu also looks pretty good!

THE FRENCH GOAT

If you’re looking for a French-style bistro, The French Goat is the place to go. I did not get a chance to try this restaurant but the menu looked delicious! Let me know what you think if you visit!

PRIME 44 WEST

If you love basketball, you will want to try Prime 44 West located at The Greenbrier resort! The restaurant is named after NBA legend and West Virginia native Jerry West. An amazing steakhouse restaurant and the best lobster popcorn!

DRAPER’S

Draper’s is located at The Greenbrier resort and has the cutest decorations! It’s a tribute to Dorothy Draper, it includes classic Dorothy Draper-inspired recipes and traditional southern dishes. I absolutely loved the hot chicken sandwich and make sure to save room for ice cream!