Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park

Driving

by Plot Along: Appalachia

The full 105-mile traverse of Shenandoah National Park's signature road, along the crest of the Blue Ridge from Front Royal in the north to Rockfish Gap in the south. Built between 1931 and 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Skyline Drive is the only paved public road through the park.

The road climbs to elevations above 3,500 feet and has 75 named overlooks pulled off at points where the ridge opens onto the Shenandoah Valley to the west or the rolling Piedmont to the east. The drive connects at Rockfish Gap to the Blue Ridge Parkway, which continues south through Virginia and North Carolina.

Skyline Drive is open year-round but closes during severe winter weather. The speed limit is 35 mph throughout. A park entrance fee applies.

Learn more: nps.gov

1
Jeremys Run Overlook
North-section overlook into a hollow drained by Jeremys Run, a stocked trout stream that runs the length of the canyon below.
2
Pass Mountain Overlook
View of Pass Mountain just to the south, the ridge that separates Thornton Gap from the next valley.
3
Pinnacles Overlook
View of The Pinnacles, twin rocky summits east of the drive that anchor one of the park's classic ridgeline hikes.
4
Hemlock Springs Overlook
Named for a hemlock-shaded spring near the pullout, with a ridge view east into the rolling Piedmont.
5
Crescent Rock Overlook
Curved rock outcrop with a view of Hawksbill Mountain, the highest peak in the park at 4,051 ft.
6
Franklin Cliffs Overlook
Cliff-top overlook on one of the steeper sections of the ridge, looking west into the Shenandoah Valley with the Massanutten ridge in the middle distance.
7
Big Meadows Ranger Station
The park's central hub at the high natural meadow that gives the area its name. Visitor center, lodge, campground, and the trailhead for Dark Hollow Falls.
8
Hazeltop Ridge Overlook
Overlook of Hazeltop, the third-highest peak in the park at 3,816 ft.
9
The Oaks Overlook
Southern-district overlook named for a notable stand of oaks at the pullout, with a view into the Conway River drainage.
10
South River Overlook
Overlook of the South River drainage, one of the trout streams in the park's southern district.
11
Swift Run Entrance Station
Mid-park entrance at US-33, a convenient way to enter or exit if you're only doing one district of the drive.
12
Big Run Overlook
Overlook of Big Run, the park's largest watershed and a designated wilderness area. One of the most expansive western views on the drive.
13
Calf Mountain Overlook
Last big overlook before Rockfish Gap, looking back into the Shenandoah Valley with the southern stretch of the park ridge to the north.
14
Rockfish Gap Visitors Center
Regional visitor center at Rockfish Gap, the southern end of Skyline Drive where it meets the Blue Ridge Parkway and I-64. A good orientation stop for either drive.

Jeremys Run Overlook

Pass Mountain Overlook

Pinnacles Overlook

Hemlock Springs Overlook

Crescent Rock Overlook

Franklin Cliffs Overlook

Big Meadows Ranger Station

Hazeltop Ridge Overlook

The Oaks Overlook

South River Overlook

Swift Run Entrance Station

Big Run Overlook

Calf Mountain Overlook

Rockfish Gap Visitors Center