In general, the eastern-facing overlook are best for the sunrise and the west-facing overlooks are best for the sunset. Which overlooks on the Skyline Drive are best for sunrise? Which overlooks are best for sunset? The same thing is true in reverse for late afternoon. So, it’s better to do a hike early in the morning and then do the drive and the overlooks later in the day. And the hills on the west side of the mountain are in shadow / shade until about 10:00am. Before 10:00, the east-facing overlooks have the sun right in your eyes, which is terrible for photos. However, the viewpoints are best after 10:00 am. When is the best time to drive the Skyline Drive? If your vehicle is taller, you can still drive the southern and northern sections of the Skyline Drive, but would need to turn back when you get to the tunnel. The main thing to be aware of is that Mary’s Rock Tunnel (Mile 32.2) has a maximum clearance of 12′ 8″. RVs, buses and trailers are permitted on the Skyline Drive. Can a large motor home, RV, or tour bus drive on Skyline Drive? Rather than doing the entire drive all at once, I recommend breaking it up with hikes and stops at the visitor center, restaurants, etc. However, if you stop at all or some of these 25 overlooks, it will take you much longer to drive through Shenandoah National Park. So, driving Skyline Drive straight through without stopping would take you three hours. The Skyline Drive speed limit is 35 miles per hour. How long does it take to drive Skyline Drive ? See a complete list of all the mile markers in the park here. They’re on the right side of the road if you’re driving south and on the left if you’re driving north. The markers are small posts and somewhat easy to miss.

There are mile markers every mile along the scenic Skyline Drive, starting from 0 in the north and ending at 105 at the southern entrance. Byrd Visitor Center: In the middle of the park at Big Meadows at Mile 51 Dickey Ridge Visitor Center: Near the northern entrance of the park at Mile 4.6.There are two Visitor Centers in the park: It includes admission for one vehicle or four people (for places that charge per person).īuy the America the Beautiful Pass here Visitor Centers on the Shenandoah Skyline Drive, VA national parks plus national forests and BLM lands. It gives you unlimited access for a year from the date of purchase to over 2,000 federal recreation sites including all U.S. However, if you plan to visit more than a couple of parks in a year (or the same park more than twice), then I recommend getting the America the Beautiful Pass. You can pay at the entrance station or online. Entrance is valid for 7 consecutive days. The Skyline Drive price (Shenandoah National Park entrance fee) is $30 per vehicle/ $25 per motorcycle or $15 per person for other means of transport. If the entrance station is closed when you enter, you can drive right through and pay as you exit. The Skyline Drive is open 24 hours a day. If the weather is iffy, you can check the status of the Skyline Drive by calling (540) 999-3500 (option 1, then option 1). The national park and Skyline Drive are open year-round, weather permitting. So, if you’re visiting at peak periods (especially fall weekends), it’s better to start at the southern Rockfish Gap Entrance and head north. This does mean that the route heading south tends to be busier than the one heading north. Most people enter at the Front Royal Entrance. Read More: Closest airports to Shenandoah National Park What’s the Best Skyline Drive Entrance? It’s the start of the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is a continuation of the Skyline Drive This is the divider between Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline.Shenandoah National Park south entrance / southern entrance to Skyline Drive.Shenandoah National Park north entrance.There are four Shenandoah National Park entrance stations: one at each end and two in the middle. They are roughly equidistant and effectively divide the park into three sections – the northern, central and southern sections. The Shenandoah scenic drive starts and ends at Front Royal and Rockfish Gap. How many miles is Skyline Drive? The entire drive is 105 miles. Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park Overview How long is Skyline Drive in Virginia? Shenandoah National Park is a narrow strip spilling down the sides of a stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Front Royal in the north (Mile 0) to the Rock Fish Gap Entrance in the south (Mile 105). Now we’ve looked at all the best spots in Shenandoah National Park, a quick overview of the park and the Shenandoah scenic drive, the Skyline Drive, in particular. Sawmill Run is in the center and Sawmill Ridge to the right. This is a lovely leafy overlook with views of the Shenandoah hills beyond the trees. Sawmill Run Overlook, Shenandoah National Park

Skyline drive va