Head For The Hills

10 nearby mountain getaways where you can unload, unplug, and unwind.

- Marty LeGrand

Turns out, he was onto something. Modern medical research has linked spending time in the mountains with lower obesity rates, improved cardiovascular and respiratory health, and decreased stress levels. (No lie, sniffing pine trees can help ease tension.) And who couldn’t use a dose of alpine Xanax in these tense and uncertain times?

Here in the Mid-Atlantic, it’s the Appalachians that provide refuge, especially during this season, when hillsides take on the hues of a tequila sunrise, and small towns celebrate their plentiful harvests and rich local culture.

We’ve picked 10 mountain destinations for your consideration, from a posh West Virginia spa that has hosted more than two dozen presidents, to a rugged Pennsylvania gorge beloved by cyclists and hikers, to the pastoral foodie capital of Virginia. With each, we offer tips on what to do and see, as well as where to stay and eat.

As for intangible benefits, we’ll leave the last word to American writer and painter Annie Dillard, who attended college in the Virginia Piedmont city of Roanoke: “Mountains are giant, restful, absorbent. You can heave your spirit into a mountain and the mountain will keep it, folded, and not throw it back.”

Potomac Highlands West Virginia