Skyline Drive

A 169 km scenic road running through Shenandoah National Park along the Blue Ridge. Its 75 overlooks look down on the Shenandoah River valley. Its southern end joins the Blue Ridge Parkway seamlessly.

Skyline Drive is the only road inside Shenandoah National Park. It was built in the 1930s by civilian conservation crews. It runs north from Front Royal, Virginia, to Rockfish Gap, where it connects with the Blue Ridge Parkway. The route is 105 miles (about 169 km) long, with 75 overlooks along the Blue Ridge crest. Mileposts (Mile 0 to 105) mark locations along the road. Highlights from north to south include the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, Hogback Overlook, Marys Rock Tunnel, Skyland and the area near Stony Man, the park's highest point, where the highest stretch is about 1,139 m. Next are Hawksbill Mountain, the park's highest peak, Big Meadows (with its deer herds and visitor center), Dark Hollow Falls, the Bear Fence Mountain rock scramble trail, and Blackrock Summit in the south. The speed limit is 35 mph. Driving without stopping takes about 3 hours. One to two days is recommended, and you can spend the night at Skyland or the Big Meadows Lodge. You need a national park entrance pass. On autumn weekends, the northern entrance and overlooks are very crowded, so go on a weekday or set out early in the morning. Gas is only available near Big Meadows. Black bears and white-tailed deer are common, so drive slowly at night and in fog.

Skyline Drive

Along the route