SKYLINE DRIVE

At 105 miles long, Skyline Drive is the main drag through the nearly 200,000-acre ShenandoahNational Park. There are four entry points: FrontRoyal, ThorntonGap, SwiftRun Gap, and RockfishGap.

Need to Know:

$20 entry fee (feewaived on select dates)
35 mph speed limit
75 overlooks
Marys Rock Tunnel (milepost 32.4) clearance is 12’8″
Inclement weather may close the Drive. Call 540-999-3500 for status.
Accommodations and Dining: SkylandResort (milepost 41.7) and BigMeadows Lodge (milepost 51)
MAP
Tag your photos with #FindYourPark and #LOVEVA to share your experience.
Interested in making it a mini vacation? Check out this LeafPeeping on Skyline Drive getaway suggestion!

History Skyline Drive 

Begun as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression, construction of the Skyline Drive was both difficult and dangerous. Large cuts were made into the sides of knolls and peaks to allow for a road wide enough to handle traffic. The work began in 1931, and the final section (from Swift Run Gap to Rockfish Gap) was completed and opened in 1939. The Civilian Conservation Corps also had a hand in the construction of Skyline Drive. The CCC graded the slopes on both sides of the roadway, built guardrails, constructed overlooks, and planted thousands of trees and shrubs along the parkway It has 75 overlooks.

Already a National Scenic Byway and on the National Register of Historic Places, the Skyline Drive was designated a National Historic Landmark in October 2008.

Find out more:  Civilian Conservation Corps at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps

Camping: Fancy Gap Cabins & Campground http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/v.php?pg=137