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Sight Shenandoah National Park

Skyline Drive

A sight in Shenandoah National Park, budget-friendly ($) and worth about 4 hours. Best time to go: Mid-Oct for color.

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Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park
Photo: Chris Sheft · Google

Why go

105-mile ridgetop road through Shenandoah National Park with 70 overlooks.

It is one of 10 curated places we feature in Shenandoah, alongside 4 outdoor spots, 2 places to eat and 1 activity. The closest of our other picks is Dark Hollow Falls Trail, 3.4 mi away as the crow flies. Set aside about 4 hours here; it works best as the anchor of a day rather than a quick stop.

Type
Sight
Neighborhood
Shenandoah National Park
Price
$
Time needed
4 hr
Best time
Mid-Oct for color

Nearby

The 6 closest curated picks in Shenandoah, measured as straight-line distance.

  1. 1
    Dark Hollow Falls Trail

    Short, steep hike to a 70-foot cascade near Big Meadows.

    Outdoors · 3.4 mi straight-line
  2. 2
    Hawksbill Summit

    Highest point in the park, with a stone observation platform.

    Outdoors · 6.4 mi straight-line
  3. 3
    Pollock Dining Room at Skyland

    Park lodge dining room with valley views and blackberry ice cream pie.

    Food · 9.0 mi straight-line
  4. 4
    Stony Man Trail

    Easy 1.6-mile loop to cliffs with wide views over the Shenandoah Valley.

    Outdoors · 9.2 mi straight-line
  5. 5
    Old Rag Mountain

    Rock-scramble summit hike, the park's most famous and toughest day hike.

    Activity · 11 mi straight-line
  6. 6
    Luray Caverns

    Large show cave with stalactites and the Great Stalacpipe Organ.

    Sight · 13 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Skyline Drive is a stop on our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

More to do in Shenandoah

Skyline Drive is our only sight pick in Shenandoah; here is what else we recommend there. See the full Shenandoah guide.

When to go

Average daily highs in Shenandoah run from 34°F in January to 82°F in July; May is usually the wettest month. For Skyline Drive itself, we suggest: Mid-Oct for color.

Modelled monthly averages for Shenandoah from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Shenandoah weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Skyline Drive, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Address
Virginia, USA
Coordinates
38.47547, -78.45346
Destination
Shenandoah, Virginia

Skyline Drive: quick answers

How much time do you need at Skyline Drive?

Plan on about 4 hours at Skyline Drive. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

When is the best time to visit Skyline Drive?

Our pick: Mid-Oct for color. Insider tip: Speed limit is 35 mph; fill up on gas before entering.

Where is Skyline Drive?

Skyline Drive is at Virginia, USA, in Shenandoah National Park. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.

Which TripsCircle routes include Skyline Drive?

Skyline Drive appears on Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add Skyline Drive to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Shenandoah.

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Also in Shenandoah

Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.