The two- to four-lane Route 11 highway has been a well traversed north-south thoroughfare since, well, we don’t know. Its use predates settlement in America. It was an ancient Indian trail Europeans found to be usable for wilderness migration, but it wasn’t until the 1830s, however, that the rutted trail was improved to be permanent. At that time, it took the name Valley Pike.
Through the years Route 11 has had several names: the Great Wagon Road, Wilderness Road, and previously mentioned, Valley Pike, and didn’t receive a route number until 1926. It is the longest north-south route in the Commonwealth and stretches from Tennessee to the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
Visit the Communities
In the Shenandoah Valley, we invite you to enjoy stops in the Route 11 towns and cities. Each one offers great hospitality, comfortable rest, and good food.
Enjoy the Flavors of Route 11
You won’t be hungry when you leave the Edinburg Mill Restaurant in Edinburg. Enjoy a hand-cut steak, fried Virginia catfish, or a local stuff pork loin chop.
The famed Route 11 Potato Chips in Mount Jackson allows you to see how the chips are made while enjoying samples. Choose a flavor or two to take home.
Valley Pike Farm Market in Weyers Cave focuses on all things Valley fresh and flavorful. Craft beer, wine, sweet confections, preserves, breads, meats, cheeses … this is a place to not only shop for your at-home enjoyment, but also dine. Order a deli sandwich or charcuterie tray to enjoy on the porch.
At Woodstock Café you can enjoy a great meal lovingly created by food-loving couple, Nikki and Jose. Perhaps score a pound of Jose’s fresh pasta to take home as well.
For Route 11 wine visits, hit these:
- Muse Vineyards in Woodstock is 1.5 miles
- CrossKeys Vineyards in Mt. Crawford is 6.9 miles off Route 11 and 7.2 miles from the Valley Pike Farm Market
- Ecco Adesso Vineyards in Fairfield is 2.1 miles off Route 11
Stay on Route 11
Weary travelers deserve excellent places of refuge and rest. We like these places on Route 11 and believe you will, too.
- The George Washington: A Wyndham Grand Hotel in Winchester is on Route 11 in downtown (N. Cameron Street)
- Hotel Madison is on Route 11 (Lee Highway) in Harrisonburg
- Hotel 24 South and The Blackburn Inn are both on Route 11 (Greenville Avenue) in downtown Staunton
Take in the History of Route 11 and the Valley
Learn more about the history of the Great Valley Road when you stop at storytelling places on the Great Valley Road.
- A stop at the Virginia Quilt Museum in Harrisonburg showcases beautiful handmade textiles and is the official quilt museum for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- The Newtown History Center in Stephens City details the history of the Valley’s second oldest town, “wagon road” settlement, and more.
- Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park in Middletown preserves the site of the Civil War Battle of Cedar Creek as well as Belle Grove Plantation.
- Natural Bridge State Park in Natural Bridge offers pre-settlement history through the Civil War with their special programming. It is Route 11 that traverses over the Natural Bridge in the image at the top of this article.
Enjoy your Great Valley Road travels through the Shenandoah Valley.
Header image courtesy of Virginia Tourism Corporation and by Creative Dog Media, IG account: @creativedogmedia