Directions

The Almost Heaven Star Party is held at Spruce Knob, West Virginia, the darkest site in the mid-Atlantic region. A downloadable PDF [92 kb] of the these directions is also available.

Directions from Washington, D.C. and points north of D.C.

• Follow I-95 South to Washington, D.C., and take the Beltway (495) West around the city. Get on I-66 West and proceed to I-81.
• Follow I-81 South to exit 247B at Harrisonburg, Route 33 West.
• Follow 33 West into West Virginia, through Brandywine, Franklin, and on to Judy Gap (approximately 14 miles after Franklin).
• At Judy Gap, turn left onto 28 South and follow directions from Judy Gap on (below).

From points West

• Follow I-79 into West Virginia and to exit 99 (Route 33 East) at Weston and Buckhannon.
• Follow Route 33 East through Buckhannon, Elkins, Seneca Rocks, and on to Judy Gap where 33 and 28 split.
• Continue on 28 South and follow directions from Judy Gap on.
  

From Judy Gap

• Follow Route 28 South through Circleville (3 miles) and Cherry Grove (3 miles).
• Approximately 2–3 miles after going through Cherry Grove, turn right on 28/10 toward The Mountain Institute and Spruce Knob Lake (there will be a small Forest Service sign).
• After about 3 miles turn left at a stop sign near a hairpin turn and go another 4 miles to a set of low stone columns and a red farm gate on the right at the top of a hill; if you go down a very long hill
  and over a bridge at a small creek you have gone too far.
• Turn right through the red gate; marked “The Mountain Institute.”
• Bear left, and follow the dirt road 1 mile through farm land until you get to the large round buildings—yurts.

The Mountain Institute contact information

Spruce Knob Mountain Center
HC 75 Box 24
Circleville, WV 26804
Phone: (304) 567-2632
Fax: (304) 567-2666

Appalachian Office
100 Campus Drive, 108 LA
Elkins, WV 26241
Phone: (304) 637-1267
Fax: (304) 637-1988
email: ap@mountain.org
web: www.mountain.org