Flagpole Knob (38.15 miles away)
Harrisonburg, Virginia
River Road
Scout Route
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River Road provides access into and/or out of Old Mine and connects to US Highway 250. It travels alongside the Shaver Fork and is typically lined with thick rhododendrons. Maps show this road as a forest service road, but it appears to be used mostly for local access. Hard-packed gravel makes the road suitable for high-clearance vehicles. Camping is limited to just two pre-disturbed sites, and do note that a rail line next to the road could disrupt your night of sleep.
On the northern end, towards Highway 250, a spur takes you to Cheat Summit Fort, where a fort was built by Union forces to protect the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad during the Civil War. In 1861, the Confederates attempted to take control of the fort and failed. The failure is believed to be one of the main reasons General Robert E. Lee's west Virginia campaign failed. The fort has little left to see, but it is worth the quick side trip to walk the grounds.
