Take a Scenic Drive in Pembroke, Virginia.
In less than a 20-mile drive west of Virginia Tech Campus, you will find an interesting little community known as Pembroke. If you were just passing through, you might not think that Pembroke has much to offer, but one short detour from 460 on to Castle Rock Drive will have you finding a little bit of everything.
As soon as you turn on to Castle Rock Drive, you will need to turn right on to Snidow Street. On Snidow Street, you will find Virginia’s smallest public library. This building is only about 10-ft. wide by 25-ft. long, and before it became the Pembroke Public Library, it first served as a stagecoach stop and a post office.
From Snidow Street, take a left on to state route 623-River Road. Follow this road for about a mile, until you approach a railroad crossing. Right beside this crossing, if you look to your left you will find a road called Snidows Ferry Road. This road will lead you to Cliff View Drive, where you will find some beautiful views of the river. And on the opposite side of the river, you will find a unique span of railroad track, hugging the riverbank, and leading to an 18th century train tunnel that was hewn in to the side of a cliff.
After you’ve had your share of exploring Cliff View Drive, you can return to State Route 623 to continue your scenic journey. After all, the best is still to come. Once you’re back on SR-623, you will have to cross the New River Bridge to go any further.
The first thing that might catch your attention is this 94-year-old truss bridge. Though hard to believe, this bridge was built in 1916 and served Pembroke up until 1996.
If you look carefully as you’re crossing the river, you will see the opposite end of the train tunnel that I mentioned before.
A little bit further down State Route 623 and you will find the largest cliffs in this part of Virginia.
Pembroke is full of natural beauty, so there is no telling what you might find if you keep on driving. My only advice is to bring your GPS if you have one. Also, if you find something interesting during your travels through Pembroke, please be sure to leave a comment and share your discoveries with the readers of The New River Valley Blog.
