It is easy to spend a full weekend in Fayetteville and still not see everything it has to offer, especially if you are an outdoor enthusiast. Even if bugs and outdoors aren’t your thing, Fayetteville still full of interesting shops, restaurants, and other attractions to fill up your weekend excursion.

To get to Fayetteville, WV take exit 48 (N. Beckley/Summersville) off of I-77 (toll road if coming north: $0.25 for a car). This will put you onto US rt. 19 N; follow 19N for approximately 18.2 miles and then turn right onto WV rt.16 into Fayetteville.

The Canyon Rim Visitor Center could easily occupy a few hours of your trip if you choose to indulge in the video presentations as well as the indoor and outdoor attractions.

The Canyon Rim Visitor’s Center is located just north of Fayetteville on Rt. 19. From the Beckley area, you must travel on Rt. 19 North via exit 48 off of interstate 48 of I-77. You will be on Rt. 19 for just less than 19 miles when you will take the first right just after the New River Gorge Bridge.

Ansted has over a dozen attractions, most of which are associated with Hawks Nest State Park, and you could easily spend a weekend enjoying the natural beauty of the area and exploring the coal heritage.

To reach Ansted from the Beckley area travel on Rt. 19 North via exit 48 off of interstate 77. Travel on Rt. 19 for 23.5 miles and then take the ramp toward Midland Trail/Gauley Bridge/Rainelle and then turn right onto US Rt. 60 West. After approximately 6.5 miles you will be in Ansted.

Thurmond Depot is a stop that could occupy an hour or two of your time with their walking tour and indoor museum exhibits.

Thurmond is best accessible by getting onto US rt. 19 North via exit 48 off of interstate 77. After approximately 5.8 miles, turn right at the caution light in Glen Jean. Take your immediate left in front of the Exxon. After approximately 0.4 miles on this road, take a right hand turn onto Thurmond-McDendree Rd/Cr-25 and then an almost immediate left (in front of the bank) onto McKell Ave and then another almost immediate left to get “back onto” Thurmond-McDendree Rd. Stay on County Rt 25 all the way down to Thurmond (approximately 7 miles).

The Tamarack compound offers a plethora of opportunities for the visiting guest. Allow at least a couple hours to just walk around and look at all of the exhibits and artworks made by West Virginians. If you are lucky enough to catch a show, allow another hour or so for that, and don’t forget about the cafeteria at Tamarack that is staffed by chefs from the world renowned Greenbrier Resort!

Tamarack is located at exit 45 on interstate 77 around Beckley. The Tamarack visitor’s center can also be reached by taking the Harper Road exit (exit 44). Turn away from Beckley off of the exit ramp. Take a right onto Dry Hill Road and then a right onto Vankirk Drive and you will arrive at Tamarack.

The Beckley Mine currently offers three tours under the single ticket that they sell. Each of these tours lasts approximately one hour. There is also the youth museum that is self guided that could take an hour of two to go through.

In order to visit the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine from out of town; take exit 42 off of interstates 77/64 and follow the exit ramp toward “Beckley, Mabscott”. Merge into traffic onto route 16. Follow rt. 16 until you take a left hand turn onto Ewart Avenue (you will pass through 5 lights). If you get to the light at value city you have gone too far.

Sophia is a quaint little town that has many unique shops and buildings in its historic region. Plan on spending an hour or two to walk along these streets full of history and be sure to engage the locals as they have a wealth of knowledge.

Take exit 42 (Robert C. Byrd Drive) off of interstate 77 and head toward Sophia. Follow rt. 16 all the way into Sophia. It is approximately 12 minutes (or almost 6 miles) from the interstate to Sophia.

Allow yourself two to three hours to complete the historic walking tour of Mullens.

Take exit 42 (Robert C. Byrd Drive) off of interstate 77 and head toward Sophia. Follow rt. 16 all the way through Sophia and into Mullens. Approximately 40 minutes (just over 24 miles) from the interstate.

If you are an ATV enthusiast then you could spend a full week here on the Hatfield and McCoy trail. If off-road riding is not for you, then allow an hour or so to visit the historic courthouse, and then spend as much time walking the trails around Pineville as you would like, there are plenty.

Take exit 42 (Robert C. Byrd Drive) off of interstate 77 and head toward Sophia. Follow rt. 16 through Sophia and then through Mullens; all the way into Pineville. This trip is almost a 1 hour drive from the interstate (approximately 30 miles).

Welch has a very nicely kept up historic district, with a museum or two dedicated to the history of the area. Plan to spend a few hours touring this small piece of Appalachia.

Take exit 42 (Robert C. Byrd Drive) off of interstate 77 and head toward Sophia. Follow rt. 16 National Coal Heritage Highway; through Sophia, Mullens, and Pineville, and into historic Welch. This drive is approximately 1.5 hours off of the interstate (approximately 48 miles).

The Eccles Mine Memorial is a nice stop, but it will not bog down your itinerary: plan on spending less than an hour here.

Take exit 44 (Harper Road) off of interstate 77 and then turn onto rt. 3 away from Beckley. Take a left onto Gatewood Rd. after about 4.6 miles, and then after 0.2 miles take a sharp right onto old county route 3/17 (Old Eccles Road) and this will take you to Eccles.

Account for less than one hour spent in Helen, once you reach it that is.

To reach Helen, WV: take exit 42 (toward Sophia) off of interstate 77. Follow rt. 16 South for approximately 12.5 miles (or almost ½ hr) and you will arrive in Helen, WV.

Twin Falls State Park is a beautiful resort to dedicate a weekend to. Twin Falls has enough hiking trails and pioneer heritage to keep you busy for a weekend and that doesn’t even leave a chance for a round of golf, or a dip in the pool!

Exit I-64/I77 at Beckley, West Virginia at Exit 42(marked Beckley and Robert C. Byrd Drive). From Exit 42 it is 28 miles (45 minutes) to Twin Falls Lodge.

From the Exit Ramp turn right onto Rt 16 South/Rt 97 West (marked Sophia, Mullens). Drive approximately 3.5 miles on Rt 16 South/Rt 97 West. This is all a 4-lane road.

Bear right onto Rt 54 South towards Mullens.

Drive approximately 15 miles on Rt 54 South. You will drive through the towns of Glen White and Lester. These towns are locally noted for very strict enforcement of their speed limits, so be careful.

At Maben (about a quarter of a mile past Maben Easy Stop) turn right onto Rt 97 West.

Drive 5.5 miles on Rt 97 West. About a quarter of a mile past the Exxon Station you will come to a STOP sign. Turn left onto Bear Hole Road. It is 4.1 miles to Twin Falls Lodge.

Beckley, WV – Home of TAMARACK “The Best of West Virginia”. Smell the aroma of freshly baked cherry cobbler. Hear the sound of traditional stringed music and voices raised in song. Feel the touch of soft spun wool and smoothly carved wood. Or see the sight of brilliant stained glass and intricate metal sculpture. Tamarack’s striking, peaked red roof and attractively landscaped grounds draw half a million visitors annually off I-77 and I-64 into a welcome respite of visual beauty, Appalachian sounds, and distinctive aromas. Six resident artisans work daily in observation studios to demonstrate textiles, glass, metal, wood, pottery, and jewelry. Throughout the year artisan demonstrations and food tastings engage visitors in new experiences. The fine arts gallery offers a glimpse of the current art scene. Live musical, theater, dance and storytelling performances are scheduled in the intimate 178-seat theater. Tamarack’s world-renowned partner, The Greenbrier, provides signature dining which attracts guests for second helpings of delectable cuisine.

The Harper Road, Beckley, WV – Harper Road is the hub of many spokes in Beckley. From this exit you can access most of Beckley’s major hotels and attractions. Beckley was named in honor of John J. Beckley, who was the first Clerk of the House of Representatives and the first Librarian of Congress. It was founded by his son Alfred Beckley (US Army general and confederate militia commander). Visit the home of Gereral Alfred Beckley, the “Wildwood” House Museum, built 1835-36 and the Raleigh County Veterans Museum. Beckley has also been referred to as Beckleyville and its nickname was the “Smokeless Coal Capital”. See for yourself the “Smokless Coal” seams of the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine a National Historic Site where visitors can experience a unique underground train tour conducted by veteran coal miners and tour a historical coal camp. Adjacent to the Coal Mine is the New River Park and campground complete with outdoor pool, waterslide and tennis courts. Outdoor enthusiast will enjoy Lake Stephens located in Surveyor, WV. Lake Stephens offers fishing, water sports, swimming, RV & tent camping, hiking & bike trails, and also one of the areas best skateboard p

Will be your entrance to the Coal Heritage Trail. Designated in 1996 by legislation, the National Coal Heritage Area consists of 11 southern West Virginia counties and recognizes the importance of coal mining to the state and to the nation. From 1870 until 1945 and continuing today, huge amounts of coal, unsurpassed in quality, were exported from the region leaving behind a society and landscape rich in culture and history. Today, the region’s communities retain much of their original character as “company towns,” reflecting the local traditions, immigrant laborers, and dominance of the coal industry. A nice stop along the way will be Daniel’s Vineyard a locally owned golf course turned winery. Daniels Vineyards offers a complete line of West Virginia made wines and has won prestigious medals in international, national, regional and state wine competitions.