Sunset at a mountain overlook on the drive up to Snowshoe

Getting here from Northern Virginia

Northern Virginia to Snowshoe

closer than you think

Northern Virginia is the same drive as DC with the worst part removed. From Fairfax, Manassas, or Gainesville, you are already on I-66; from Loudoun, take VA-7 west to Winchester and pick up I-81 there. Either way you meet I-81 at Strasburg and take VA-55 west into Corridor H, four lanes through Wardensville to Moorefield, then WV-55 and WV-28 through Petersburg, Seneca Rocks, and Green Bank to WV-66 and the climb from Cass. Call it 3.5 hours from Gainesville, 4 from Fairfax, 4.5 from Alexandria on a Friday.

Drive time

3.5 to 4.5 hours

from Fairfax, normal conditions, no stops

Distance

about 190 to 220 miles

to the Village at 4,848 feet

Check-in

4:00 PM

your code works whenever you arrive

Live road conditions, WV 511 ↗Summit forecast All routes and airports

The route

The way people actually go

Put Snowshoe Mountain Resort in the GPS for the long part. Once you pass Cass, switch to the exact pin we send you; street addresses on the mountain resolve to the resort entrance, not the door.

The other way

In snow, stay on Corridor H to Davis and Thomas, then US-219 south through Parsons and Elkins to Slatyfork, and climb Route 66 from Par Mar to the main entrance. I-81 south to Staunton and US-250 through Monterey works from the southern end of Northern Virginia and is scenic in summer; it is the slowest ending in snow.

1
I-66 west to I-81 at Strasburg. From Loudoun, VA-7 west to Winchester, then I-81 south to Strasburg.
2
VA-55 west at Strasburg, which becomes US-48, Corridor H, at Wardensville, WV. Four lanes to Moorefield.
3
WV-55 south through Petersburg to Seneca Rocks, then WV-28 south through Bartow, Arbovale, and Green Bank.
4
Two miles past Green Bank, WV-66 west through Cass, over the Greenbrier River, and up the back of the mountain to the resort entrance on the right.

Where to stop

The last grocery, the last gas, the climb

In order. There is one small grocery on the mountain and no gas at all, so the tank and the first night's dinner get sorted on the way in.

Every stop, with hours

1 · Last full grocery
Moorefield or Petersburg
Moorefield, WV, at the end of the four-lane on Corridor H, or Petersburg, WV, eleven miles on, both before the two-lane part
Moorefield has a Walmart and a Food Lion; Petersburg has a Food Lion. Either is the last full grocery on this route. Trent's in Arbovale is a real small grocery closer in. On the Staunton ending, shop in Staunton; Monterey has a small market.
2 · Last gas
Petersburg, then Trent's in Arbovale
Fill in Moorefield or Petersburg. Trent's General Store in Arbovale, two miles before Green Bank, is the last gas before Cass
Trent's closes at 7pm and on Sundays. There is no gas between Green Bank and the top of the mountain. If you finish through Elkins and US-219 instead, Par Mar at Slatyfork is the last stop.
3 · The climb
WV-66 from Cass, the climb
From Cass over the Greenbrier River to the resort entrance, about 20 minutes
Steep and narrow with hairpins, and in a storm it feels unplowed. The entrance is on the right near the top. Nothing is open after Cass. In snow we come around by Marlinton and climb Route 66 from Par Mar instead.
4 · On the mountain
Wildcat Grocery
At the Village, a five-minute walk from the Summit condos
Also listed on some map apps as Wildcat Grocery, same store. Milk, eggs, bread, some produce and meat, hot coffee, and the biggest beer cave on the mountain. Resort prices. Hours shrink in the closed seasons.

Best arrival time

Be on the mountain road in daylight

Leave by noon from Fairfax for the 4pm check-in with a stop. On a winter Friday, leave by 11am; I-66 and the climb from Cass both slow down after dark.

Cell service is gone for miles around Green Bank (the observatory's radio quiet zone) and on most of the climb from Cass. Download offline maps and our check-in message before you leave, and send the "almost there" text from Petersburg or Monterey, the last towns with a reliable bar of signal.

Parking at our homes

Winter notes

From Northern Virginia in ski season

the last ten miles are the trip

Whichever way you come, you end the drive climbing about 2,000 feet on a plowed two-lane road. Here is what we tell every winter guest, plus the parts that are specific to your route.

WV 511 road conditions ↗Roads and tires

Corridor H is the winter road: four lanes, a truck route, plowed first. The plateau around Mount Storm and Davis drifts in a storm; check WV 511.
WV-66 from Cass up the back of the mountain is steep and narrow with hairpins. In snow, finish through Elkins and US-219 and climb Route 66 from Par Mar.
The last 10 miles climb about 2,000 feet from the valley to the Village at 4,848 feet. It snows at the top when it rains at the base.
AWD or 4WD with real tread is the honest recommendation from December to March. The resort plows and treats the road; in six seasons no guest has needed chains. Keep a set in the trunk if it makes you feel better.
Check WV 511 for live plow and closure status before you leave, and again at your last stop with signal.
Aim to reach the bottom of the climb before dark. Winter sunset at Snowshoe is about 5pm. Your door code works whenever you arrive, so a late, slow climb beats a fast one.

Questions

Northern Virginia to Snowshoe FAQ

Anything else, . We answer within the hour, and we would rather you ask than guess on a mountain road.

How far is Snowshoe from Northern Virginia?

About 190 to 220 miles depending on where you start, 3.5 to 4.5 hours in normal conditions with no stops; the map apps call it 4 hours from Fairfax. Gainesville and Front Royal are the short end; Alexandria on a Friday afternoon is the long end.

Which way should I drive from Fairfax to Snowshoe in winter?

I-66 to I-81 at Strasburg, VA-55 west into Corridor H (US-48). In a storm, stay on Corridor H to Davis, then US-219 south through Parsons and Elkins to Slatyfork. Corridor H is four lanes and plowed early, and that ending brings you up the main entrance. Avoid US-250 through Monterey and the steep WV-66 climb from Cass in snow.

Do I need AWD to drive to Snowshoe from Virginia?

Recommended from December to March, not required. The resort road is plowed and treated and front-wheel drive with good tires makes it most days. Chains are not required in West Virginia and none of our guests has needed them.

Coming from somewhere else?