Description

Looping through George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Highlands Scenic Byway takes a 20-mile trek into beauty and adventure. Flower-laden trails forge through thick forests. The sparkling waters of Lake Robertson paint the landscape in pastel blue. And the 19th Century relics of Long Mines Village sit like a ghost town, alone, with only memories of its heyday. Such are the snippets of the Highland Scenic Byway.

This Byway follows Route 447 to 654. It continues on 654, then veers off onto Collierstown Road until going right onto North Mountain Road. Following this road completes the loop by returning to Route 447.

Hiking the trails of the Byway is a sublime experience - taking in the scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance, as well as the thickets, flowers and lake shores. Cox Comb Trail, once the bottom of an ocean, offers an excellent overlook from the sandstone "rooster's comb" at its crest. And, North Mountain Overlook Trail affords thrilling views of Lake Robertson and the pastures below.

There's more to do here than just hiking. To really get the full flavor of what this area has to offer, it pays to cast a line into a babbling brook en route and pull out supper. And, to end the day, why not pitch a tent and cook out under the night sky?

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