Paris to Waterloo on the Splendid 688!

Motorcycle Roads & Rides > Routes > United States > Virginia

Average Rating - This road has been rated by 8 visitors

State: Virginia
Date Submitted: November 1, 2008
Submitted by: State: Virginia Jake T.
Motorcycle Road Length: 25 Miles

Written Directions

Get yourself to Paris, VA and the intersection of US 50 and US 17. Head south on US 17 and in about 2 miles you'll see VA route 688 to the right. Start your route here and take a right on to 688 as it meanders southward down to Waterloo, VA.

Scenery

Wow!!! I can't believe I've been riding motorcycles in the DC area for 12 years now and never found or heard about this beautiful little gem tucked away in Loudoun and Fauquier counties. I was tipped off to this sweet little run when I bumped into an old high school friend while I was out shopping at a home improvement store. He's a member of a biking club and told me that his group rides this at least 2 or 3 times a summer. On this ride you'll slip into some secluded hill and valley country with great diversity of heavily wooded sections and open viewing sections. There are quant little farms and cottages spread out throughout the drive with peaceful pastures some with grazing cattle. You pass near and over streams occasionally and there are a few nice new impressive homes but mostly it's a lot of modest and older country homes. Many of the homes are surrounded by picture perfect white or black wooden fences and stone driveway entrance walls. When I took this ride the leaves had not changed yet but I'll bet it would be even more incredible in the fall or spring when there would be even more colors to take in. It's only 11 miles so I suggest you either turn around and do it again or head down to the Blue Ridge Parkway and make it a day trip!

Road Quality

The roads offer a lot of nice gentle curves and sections with good elevation changes but none of the turns are twisties by any means. Road conditions are rough in a few sections and if it were not for this I would have given this road a 5 here. However, the best part about it was that when we took this ride (on a weekday evening) the roads were nearly empty ... passed one car going one way and then 2 cars coming back ... an ideal lazy country road to ride one ... you'll love it!

Roadside Amenities

There really isn't too much to do along the way however there are at least four wineries along the way and the setting is perfect for these too. If we would have had more time that would have been a great way to take a break half way through the ride. I'm already getting a group together for the spring. Other than that there is not anything to do along the way yet there is a state park (Sky Meadows State Park) at the beginning so considering all this, I gave this motorcycle ride a 3 for amenities.

Additional Info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .

Nickname (optional) State: Virginia Jake T.

Add a Photo Add a Video

View more photos of this route


Reviewed by Guest on March 20, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: David R
Comment: Really enjoyed this ride, even without leaves on the trees (March 2011). The very northern section of 688 is narrow, unstriped, and has some rough sections, but still a nice ride. And it gets better. The journey offers pastures, woods, mansions, shacks, country churches, cemeteries, vineyards, an orchard, and two four-way stop villages, Hume and Orlean. Except for the twists and turns, cruising was about 45 mph. South of Hume the road widened slightly and was striped. Cruising was about 50 mph. But with so little traffic you can easily cruise slower to enjoy the sights. South of Orlean the road straightens a good bit and the stripping even allows passing in a few sections. Sixty mph is easy here. I enjoyed the ride enough to plan on riding it again this summer.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on June 6, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: ScottP
Comment: Not as bad as others make it out to be, but there are better roads in the area for sure. I thought just getting to Paris on 50 was more interesting than 688 itself. The road was a bit rough, not a lot of loose gravel on it today. It would have been better to get off at 66 and head towards Skyline for a longer, better ride than to continue south.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on October 26, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Enzo
motorcycle_year: 1994
motorcycle_make: Kawasaki
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: I tried this road on 10-25-09, it was pretty as described, but the loose gravel ruined it, most of the road is covered with loose gravel, so it was very sketchy for me on this road, I aborted it once I crossed under i-66
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on October 7, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Brooke
motorcycle_year: 2009
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: This road was fantastic! At times the mountains are visible on the horizon, and meanwhile there are beautiful farmhouses, antique churches, abandoned road-side stores, and lovely foliage. Not to mention, there were barely any cars. I whole-heartedly recommend it.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on July 7, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: David
motorcycle_year: 2005
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: I found this site and since I live near this road decided to check it out. To begin.. the road condition is horrible. Pot holes everywhere and broken up asphalt. There are no markings for lanes and many blind corners. It is also very short and I would consider it one of the worst "motorcycle roads" I've been on in a while. Loose gravel everywhere and leaves. No I was not trying to race down this road. It's just in poor condition for any ride. Maybe was once a good destination but not anymore.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on April 9, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Mike B.
motorcycle_year: 2003
motorcycle_make: Suzuki
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Based on the recommendation of this site I took a ride on this road yesterday. Very nice indeed. It's a great place for a beginner to go hone skills without having to worry about traffic around every bend. I came out rt. 7 from Sterling and took the 601 south, which is another fine road up through the mountain. From Warrenton to my house was 75 miles one way, so it was a good afternoon ride. Highly recommended for Northern VA riders.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on March 5, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: David
motorcycle_year: 2000
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: or it may be easier to just look for leeds manor road just watch out cause the traffic on it does get heavy at times and people drive the speed limit on it
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on November 10, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Brad Morgan
motorcycle_year: 2004
motorcycle_make: Victory
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: I stunbled accross this road myself last year and it is real gem of a road. This one is worth seeking out!
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No