Skyline Drive, Shenandoah

Route description

From Washington, I-66 heads west to Front Royal, the northern entrance to Shenandoah National Park. Skyline Drive runs 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with mileposts and a speed limit of 35 mph. The overlooks give views east over the Piedmont and west over the Shenandoah Valley.

At Thornton Gap, leave the drive on US-211 for Luray, a small town in the valley. Luray Caverns has large limestone caverns and the Great Stalacpipe Organ, which plays music by tapping the stalactites. Return to Skyline Drive and continue south.

Just south of Thornton Gap, the road passes through Marys Rock Tunnel, which has a clearance of 12 feet 8 inches, so check the height of your motorhome before you go. Farther south, Big Meadows is an open highland meadow where deer graze at dusk, with a lodge, a campground and short trails to waterfalls.

Fall color usually peaks in mid-October, and weekend traffic on the drive is heavy then, so come on a weekday if you can. Fog can cover the ridge, and parts of the drive may close in winter because of snow and ice. Book the Big Meadows campground ahead in season.