So as the title states, I'm looking for a good back roads route to get from Arlington area to harpers ferry without going 70 / 270. You know, a good twistie back route. Any suggestions? I'm trying to take advantage of the nice weather tomorrow! [moto]
CAVEAT: these are roads that I might or might not have been on before and I can offer no guarantee about the road condition. Please ride carefully and respect the law (I'm not implying that you don't know better, but this will be here for you and everyone else that may come by.)
I'm not that familiar with VA roads, so my route will be in MD, but here goes my simple route (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Arlington,+VA&daddr=38.90553,-77.07544+to:38.99973,-77.22821+to:39.04929,-77.26888+to:39.2608318,-77.4792081+to:Harpers+Ferry,+WV&hl=en&geocode=FeJCUQIdrnFn-ykPp6d7nba3iTGTsPZFyG_P-A%3BFbqmUQIdEOxn-ymvFFpfQba3iTF_mABV4Kzc9A%3BFbIWUwIdTpdl-yldo9ZW5TS2iTGt5apyNd-zUg%3BFUrYUwIdcPhk-ykllblZ7DO2iTEeaM-5_Yp4Jg%3BFZ8SVwId2MJh-yn_XiBSKCG2iTExXyf-vwYstA%3BFcMOWAIdfsxd-ylNlfHsDQO2iTEezbRYp5pb1g&mra=dpe&mrsp=4&sz=11&via=1,2,3,4&sll=39.14231,-77.392502&sspn=0.277457,0.441513&ie=UTF8&ll=39.230126,-77.600555&spn=0.27711,0.441513&z=11):
take the Key bridge onto Clara Barton parkway, left at the T junction on Mac Arthur, left on River Road, right on Esworthy, right on Seneca, left on 28 and follow it all the way to Point of Rocks, right on 15, left (around the rotunda) on 464 and keep going to 340 and then take it to Harpers Ferry.
That's about 2 hours but there's a enough variations to keep your riding for twice as long without going over the same strip of road twice.
Starting from route 28 in MD you can:
- head to Whites Ferry and take it across the Potomac towards rt 15 and Leesburg, then RT 9 onto Chestnut Hill Rd down to 340 or
- go to Point of Rocks then 15 into VA, first right after the brdge onto 672, then 287 down to 9 and then Chestnut Hill Rd again.
- or go up towards Gapland Park (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Arlington,+VA&daddr=38.90553,-77.07544+to:38.99973,-77.22821+to:39.04929,-77.26888+to:39.28526,-77.4225+to:39.3637362,-77.5479326+to:39.3999869,-77.6526547+to:39.37836,-77.71583+to:Harpers+Ferry,+WV&hl=en&geocode=FeJCUQIdrnFn-ykPp6d7nba3iTGTsPZFyG_P-A%3BFbqmUQIdEOxn-ymvFFpfQba3iTF_mABV4Kzc9A%3BFbIWUwIdTpdl-yldo9ZW5TS2iTGt5apyNd-zUg%3BFUrYUwIdcPhk-ykllblZ7DO2iTEeaM-5_Yp4Jg%3BFQxyVwIdXKBi-ylD6SmfnSe2iTFLY8JPiF7pOw%3BFZikWAIdZLZg-yljjZCBMN7JiTGaclwNRlGwpw%3BFTIyWQIdUh1f-yk9X-7BVeHJiTEnoEKmWMSv_g%3BFbjdWAIdiiZe-yndBIs6GuPJiTG45ftAv_D1DA%3BFcMOWAIdfsxd-ylNlfHsDQO2iTEezbRYp5pb1g&mra=dpe&mrsp=6&sz=14&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7&sll=39.40251,-77.638922&sspn=0.034554,0.055189&ie=UTF8&z=14) once on 28 a little after Dickerson, make a right on Park Mills Rd., left on Lily Ponds (careful there), right on New design and almost immediately left on Mountville Rd. and follow it to Jefferson, MD, then left on 180, and right on 383 (Broad Run, turns into Gapland), follow it to 67, make a right, then left on Trego and left again on Trego Mountain Rd. which will turn into Harpers Ferry road, follow that down to 340 and then Harpers Ferry.
Need more? [cheeky]
Do you still need a route? Sorry I did not respond to your PM, but was gone off on a ride to celebrate my xx birthday. Took some Ducati riding buddies and a Tuono bud and put them on Harleys in Daytona and we went down to Key West, then tore up the local roads on scooters. might have had some adult beverages along the way [drink] [beer] [wine] - Gene
Thanks for the route pepe! I didn't get a chance to try it out after all, hopefully next weekend.
i wish i could tell you the exact route but i just know the way.. head out GW parkway to great falls MD side. take a right, to potomac then left. at the dead end take a left towards poolesville. awesome twisties... im out there almost every weekend. live on old town.