Midland Trail
116 miles from the West Virginia Capitol through the New River country past Hawks Nest to historic Lewisburg.
Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source
- Length116.8 miles[1]
- Drive timeAbout two hours of driving, or eight hours to visit[1]FHWA's "time to allow"
- RoadsNot verified
- Start and endThe West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston east to Lewisburg and White Sulphur Springs[1]
- Fees and passesNo fees to drive the byway[1]
- Best seasonNot verified
- SurfaceNot verified
- Vehicle notesNot verified
- Seasonal closuresNot verified
Before you go
Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.
About the drive
The Midland Trail starts at the State Capitol in Charleston and heads east through Malden, Booker T. Washington's boyhood home, into the whitewater country around the New River Gorge.
Hawks Nest State Park looks down on the New River. At the eastern end are colonial Lewisburg and, FHWA notes, the oldest golf course in the country at White Sulphur Springs.
Allow about two hours of driving, or a full day to stop along the way.
Stops along the way
-
Charleston
West end at the State Capitol.
Official information · 38.34983, -81.63263 · about 1.3 mi from the route line
-
Malden
Boyhood home of Booker T. Washington.
Official information · 38.30066, -81.55707 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
-
Hawks Nest State Park
Overlook above the New River.
Official information · 38.12098, -81.12153 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
-
Lewisburg
Historic colonial town near the east end.
Official information · 37.8018, -80.44563 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Food along the way
Farmers markets within about 25 miles
- Lewisburg Farmers' MarketLewisburg, WV · about 0.0 mi from the route
- Greenbrier Valley Farmers' MarketLewisburg, WV · about 0.2 mi from the route
- Montgomery Farmers' MarketMontgomery, WV · about 0.3 mi from the route
- Capitol MarketCharleston, WV · about 1.3 mi from the route · listed as year-round
- West Side Farmers' MarketCharleston, WV · about 2.2 mi from the route
Markets keep their own seasons and hours, so check with the market before you go. Find more in the Farmers Market Finder.
Sources
- America's Byways: Midland Trail (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.
Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).