Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park

About this drive

Skyline Drive runs 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains through Shenandoah National Park, entering at Front Royal in the north and exiting at Rockfish Gap in the south. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, it remains one of the most visited scenic drives in the eastern United States — close enough to Washington D.C. and Baltimore to serve as the region's primary weekend escape. The whole drive stays above the ridgeline, and 75 overlooks look out over the Shenandoah Valley to the west and the Virginia Piedmont to the east. The park's forests are predominantly hardwood — oak, hickory, and maple — which makes Skyline Drive spectacular in October when the color turns. The color usually peaks in mid-October and can be viewed from any of the pullouts without leaving the car, though the summit of Stony Man (an easy 1.6-mile round-trip hike from Mile 41) gives a 360-degree view that makes the stop worthwhile. The speed limit throughout is 35 mph, enforced seriously. The road is narrow, deer crossings are frequent day and night, and the park requires a vehicle pass available at entrance stations. Skyland Resort and Big Meadows Lodge both offer accommodation inside the park, and the Appalachian Trail crosses the drive at multiple points for those wanting something more ambitious than an overlook parking lot.

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• Top 10 Scenic Drives in the USA