Virginia Back Roads

Starting Our Trip

Washington, D.C. is a great starting point when planning a trip to Virginia. There are three major airports in the vicinity and all the popular airlines use them. Our favorite airport is Regan National because it’s not too busy and it is very close to DC. From Regan, you can jump on any of the major highways and quickly be roaming the rolling hills of Virginia.

During one trip, we used a hotel in Virginia (south of Washington, D.C.) as a base camp and made day trips to various sites in northern Virginia. Naturally, we used as many back roads as possible to reach our destinations. Rather than rely on GPS navigation to guide us on the most direct route or follow the thickest line on a map (usually an Interstate), we looked for the thinnest lines known as “secondary highways”. In Virginia, these roads are typically numbered higher than 600.

On another trip, we planned our route to stay one or two nights in different towns along the way. That way, we were able to cover more area without having to return to the DC area every night. During this trip, we made a large circle around northern Virginia dropping in on several historical sites. Along the way, we again used our strategy of following the least direct route using secondary highways. Many times, we were traveling on paved or well-maintained dirt roads through lush farmlands and forested areas.

Fall Colors

We also planned each of our trips during different times of the year. Virginia has long been known as a great destination to see fall colors. During the fall months, you can’t go wrong with following any back road to find fall foliage. Before planning your trip though, be mindful of the different periods when leaves change colors. Different places and different trees at different altitudes experience the changing of the colors at different times. Shenandoah National Park, with its Skyline Drive, is probably Virginia’s centerpiece of fall colors. Including some or all of this long and skinny region in your plans is highly recommended. A general rule of thumb that we found was that the colors turn in western Virginia in mid-to-late October, central Virginia in late October to early November and eastern Virginia very late October to mid-November.

Spring Time

Conversely, we planned our other trip for spring to coincide with fresh new greenery and colorful blooms. We chose the first week of May. DC’s famous cherry tree blossoms are tricky to plan for because of possible late snow storms plus they draw large crowds which we try to avoid. In Virginia, the spring brings a variety of tree and plant blooms at different times and they are spread out all over the state. One tree that we saw blooming frequently was the Dogwood with its delicate white flower. We also encountered countless other blooms along the way. The key to seeing these wonderful displays of color was to stay off the main thoroughfares and instead wander down the back roads. Not only will you feel less rushed but you can stop more easily (and often) to really take in some of the lovely scenery (and take plenty of pictures)!