George Washington knew the portion of the Shenandoah Valley that forms West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle well, and the route joining Charles Town to Bath, now called Berkeley Springs, passes scenic backroads, historic homes, fertile farmlands, and mountain forests that reflect what he saw on his many rides west to take the waters. The route winds through Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan counties along colonial-era roads that are now paved and form a well-marked 138-mile circuit. In Charles Town, walking its streets reveals sites from the founding years of the Republic and many homes that endured the upheaval of John Brown and the Civil War.
