Thanks to the Green Bank Observatory, cell service and wi-fi are restricted by law here.
When project a trip to Green Bank , West Virginia , local experts will cue you to download or print a map well before embark the city limits of the three solid - nautical mile town , universe : 141 . That ’s because this tiny , idyllic village , nestled in the Allegheny Mountains , is at the heart of the National Radio Quiet Zone — an area where radio transmission , which let in cellular Robert William Service and wi - fi — are limit by law . So if you ’re see for the quietest situation in the country , you ’ve come to the correct spot .
For those who live in or inflict the 13,000 straightforward - mile National Radio Quiet Zone , peace and purdah are at the top of the tilt of priorities . And in Green Bank , it is n’t enough that mobile phone , wireless devices , galvanic toothbrush , microwaves ( they ’re creditworthy for electromagnetic current propagation ) and other vestiges of the 21st one C are effectively handicapped — they’re seriously banned . A so - called tuner policeman uses special equipment to discover any and all sign of unauthorized and unregistered electronic devices .
The enforcement of silence is n’t simply a gimmick ; rather , it ’s all in armed service of the Green Bank Telescope , the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the domain and key to scientist ’ endeavor to discover sign of extraterrestrial intelligence agency . The telescope is also credited with a phone number of central breakthrough , including the turgid neutron star ever found in 2019 . Because the Allegheny mass protect the telescope from radio hindrance alfresco of Green Bank , the instrument is one of the most sore and well - positioned to listen ( and discover ) in the world .
The Green Bank Telescope, the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope.|Photo by Jee Seymour, courtesy of Green Bank Observatory
While the town has long attracted scientists , academics , and researchers , it has also become a mecca for those looking for an safety valve from noise pollution and the apparently unending buzz of modern - day life . Green Bank , after all , takes unplugging to a new level .
The most obvious attraction is theGreen Bank Observatory , whose sheer sizing is enough to warrant important marveling at the scientific achievements of recent year ( though the fact that it can hear a ace dying is passably cool , too ) . That said , there are also natural marvel to behold within the Allegheny , with a the great unwashed of rise and trails pronto available in and around Green Bank . But perhaps most cherished and inimitable of all the attractions in Green Bank is the chance to truly take heed the domain as it may have sound long before human began to walk the Earth , and just maybe , experience a few square miles as they ought to have been .
Drive Time to Green Bank,West Virginia:
About 4 hours from Washington DC
Where to Eat in Green Bank, West Virginia:
For a truly alone dining experience , train out theStarlight Cafewithin the Green Bank Observatory . The fare is simple with pizza pie , sub , hot dog , and chips , but the real drawing card is the localisation . Naturally , you wo n’t be able to pay with your headphone or credit card , so best to have hard currency ready to hand here ( and just about anywhere in town ) .
Where to Stay in Green Bank, West Virginia:
dedicate that the town itself is only three substantial mil , it goes without saying that hotel are hard to fall by in Green Bank right . That say , 20 minutes to the south you could get theMountain Quest Inn , situate in the Monongahela National Forest on an former 1905 farm , and offering free breakfast . instead , head 30 minutes west to theCorduroy Inn and Lodge , with views of the Whistlepunk ski trail , and just 10 mi from Cass Scenic Railroad State Park .
Where to Have Morning Coffee in Green Bank, West Virginia:
Trent ’s General Storeoffers basic food market and caffeine want , as doesHenry ’s Quick Stop , a gasolene place - come - local watering pickle that offers coffee tree , donut , and other small town necessities . You ’ll likely bleed into several of the town ’s few denizens while inside .
Photo courtesy of Green Bank Observatory
