I heard about Skyline Drive for the first time several years ago. Ever since, I have wanted to ride the iconic Virginia roadway.
Skyline Drive winds north and south through the beautiful mountains of Shenandoah National Park.
We started Skyline Drive at the northern-most entrance of Shenandoah National park in Front Royal, Virginia. Not more than a few miles from where we paid our entrance fee, we rounded a turn to see a black bear standing in the road! The wildlife sightings didn’t stop there either.
As we rode along Skyline Drive, we encountered three bears, several deer, hawks, rabbits, squirrels and even a rattlesnake!
I wish I had a photo of the rattlesnake but he was in the road and on the move. To be honest, I wasn’t stopping for any snake, and when I saw a rattle I opened the throttle even quicker.
There are four campgrounds run by the park service along Skyline Drive. We stayed at one called Big Meadow Campground as we rode south through the park.
Big Meadow is where Franklin D. Roosevelt made the park’s dedication speech on July 3, 1936.
The campgrounds arent the only place to stay the night along Skyline Drive. The Appalachian Trail runs almost directly along Skyline Drive and the many “shelters”, are mapped out and a short walk from the main road in places. Its basically a roof over your head while still kind of camping too! We didn’t stay at any, but we did enjoy talking to the hikers at the rest stops along the way.
Shenandoah National park is truly a beautifully preserved natural wonder. Riding Skyline Drive through that stunning tract of land seemed almost too good to be true!
The mountain views were beautiful, and with over 60 peaks within the park, they seem to go on forever. There are many places to stop along Skyline Drive and take in the sights.
The road is well maintained and all of the park facilities we encountered were clean and pleasant.
We had an absolutely amazing time riding all 105 miles of Skyline Drive. The smooth twisting turns and jaw-dropping mountain views make it a must any riders bucket list. We saw some really cool animals, enjoyed our stay at the campgrounds, and even met some new friends along the way!
