Skyline Drive

This article refers to the road in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. For the park itself, see Shenandoah National Park. For other roads named Skyline Drive, see Skyline Drive (disambiguation).

Skyline Drive Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Skyline Drive near Big Meadow
Nearest city:	Luray, Virginia
Coordinates:	38°32′54″N 78°27′38″W / 38.54833°N 78.46056°W / 38.54833; -78.46056Coordinates: 38°32′54″N 78°27′38″W / 38.54833°N 78.46056°W / 38.54833; -78.46056
Built:	1931
Architect:	multiple
Architectural style:	Other
Governing body:	National Park Service
MPS:	Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks MPS
NRHP Reference#:	97000375[1]
Added to NRHP:	April 28, 1997

Skyline Drive is a 105-mile (169-km) road that runs the entire length of the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains. The scenic drive is particularly popular in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. Annually, over two million people visit the Skyline Drive, which has been designated a National Scenic Byway.

Entry

Major entry points to Skyline Drive are as follows:

• Front Royal, Virginia (U.S. Highway 340), the northern terminus
• Thornton Gap (U.S. Highway 211)
• Swift Run Gap (U.S. Highway 33)
• Rockfish Gap (Interstate 64, U.S. Highway 250), the southern terminus.

As of October 2011, the entry fee for all vehicles is $15 for a single car, and $10 for motorcycles. The fee varies based on the season. Passes, which are valid for unlimited entries within a seven-day period, are issued. Payment may be made with cash, credit, or debit cards. A year-long pass can be purchased for $30 (A Season Pass will admit 2 motorcycles).

Mileposts

Fall colors near Milepost 103

On the west side (right when traveling from north to south) of the drive, mileposts are present. They are numbered from 0 to 105 (north to south). These are the reference points to directions in the drive.^[2]

Driving precautions

The speed limit is 35 miles per hour (60 km/h), due to curves, wildlife and tourists. One might see stopped vehicles in the road either enjoying the wildlife or just turning to stop at an overlook. Bicycles, vehicles and pedestrians share the road. There are also deer, bear, and other wildlife crossing the road which may appear without warning. These all require extra precaution. The speed limit within the park is strictly enforced by park police.

Experience

A white-tailed deer as seen from car

Mary Rock Tunnel

As the name suggests, the road takes a winding path along the mountaintops of the Blue Ridge Mountains east of the Shenandoah River. There are nearly seventy-five overlooks throughout the drive, giving some of the most spectacular views of the surrounding valleys. During the drive (especially in early morning and late evening) wildlife can be seen on the road. Interestingly, Shenandoah National Park has one of the densest populations of black bears documented within the U.S.^[3]

Apart from the drive, one can hike and camp. There are numerous trails throughout, including a portion of the Appalachian Trail, which follows the road's path. Biking and horseback riding are other recreational activities which are allowed on the road. There are also visitors centers, cabins for rent, and even restaurants (the one at the Skyland Lodge gives diners a spectacular vista of the valley south of Luray).

There is a tunnel named "Mary's Rock Tunnel" at mile 31 of the drive. The clearance is 12'8" (3.8 m). It is 670 feet (203 m) long.^[4]

At Rockfish Gap, the Blue Ridge Parkway begins, and continues a similar path along ridge tops through Virginia and into North Carolina, terminating at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Though the land immediately around the parkway is protected by the National Park Service, much of the parkway goes near private land, but it is, nonetheless, quite rustic and charming.

History

Further information:History of Shenandoah National Park

Skyline Drive Historic District marker, which stands in the Byrd Visitors' Center at Big Meadows

Begun as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression, construction of the Skyline Drive was both difficult and dangerous. Huge 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. ^[5]

Since user fees are charged at entry points along the Skyline Drive, the Drive is sometimes mistaken as a toll road. The fee, however, is not a toll charged to drive on the road, but rather to enter, and enjoy, the park. A $15.00 pass is valid for up to seven days (as opposed to charging by the mile, or by the day, as toll roads do).

Already a National Scenic Byway, in October 2008, it was announced that the Skyline Drive was designated a National Historic Landmark.^[6] It was already inscribed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

• 

  North district, Skyline Drive

• 

  Central district, Skyline Drive

• 

  South district, Skyline Drive

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ Shenandoah National Park - Driving Skyline Drive (U.S. National Park Service)
3. ^ Shenandoah National Park - Mammals (U.S. National Park Service)
4. ^ Shenandoah NP: Shenandoah Stories
5. ^ http://www.nps.gov/archive/shen/3b2a3.htm
6. ^ http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-10-25-0065.html

See also

mountain view

• Appalachian Trail
• Big Meadows
• Skyland Resort
• Rapidan Camp
• Lost counties, cities and towns of Virginia
• Neighbor Mountain
• Blue Ridge Parkway

External links

• National Park Service, Shenandoah National Park, official website
• Skyline Drive Historic District
• Mile-by-Mile website, detailed information and many photographs
• The Ground Beneath Our Feet online exhibit of the Virginia Historical Society regarding creation of the Shenandoah National Park