Allegheny Parkway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Allegheny Parkway was a proposed 632-mile (1,017 km) scenic highway, intended to extend from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, to the Cumberland Gap, to be managed by the National Park Service. It was seen as a complementary project to the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway on the east side of the Shenandoah Valley. Despite support from the Park Service, authorizing legislation was never passed and it was never built.
The parkway was planned to start at Harpers Ferry, running northwest near the west bank of the Potomac River through Shepherdstown and Falling Waters before entering the Allegheny range at Hedgesville. Proceeding generally west through Morgan County in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, the route would pass near Berkeley Springs, along the crest of Cacapon Mountain at Cacapon State Park, meeting the Allegheny Front just south of Keyser. From Keyser the route turned south to follow the Allegheny Front, passing Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley. Farther south, the parkway was to pass near Seneca Rocks, Spruce Knob, the Sinks of Gandy, Droop Mountain Battlefield, White Sulphur Springs, Bluestone Lake in the New River valley and Breaks Interstate Park before ending at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.[1]
A spur to Hawks Nest State Park through the New River Gorge was also proposed.[1]