I love roads that follow ridge crests and afford amazing views of the surrounding landscape. Going-to-the-sun highway in Glacier National Park and the Mt. Washington Auto Road were the two most incredible scenic drives of this trip, but Skyline Drive may top them both. A 105 mile long national scenic byway, Skyline Drive traverses the crest of the northern Blue Ridge Mountains down the length of Shenandoah National Park, which was established in 1935. The highest point of the drive is at Skyland Resort, elevation 3,680 feet, but much of the road is over 3,000 feet elevation. The speed limit is just 35 mph, both to enjoy the views and to avoid colliding with the wildlife (and bicyclists). I saw four deer and one black bear just in my short time in the park, all of them in or just beside the road. I took nearly 400 photos today, but will share a select few here.
119 miles traveled today (105 of them on Skyline Drive!). 5,543 miles total.
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| Shenandoah Valley overlook. |
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| View from Dickey Ridge Visitor Center. |
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| Looking west across the Shenandoah Valley to the long, parallel ridges of Massanutten Mountain. |
Beautiful country. You are having fabulous weather on your journey Steve. It appears there were a lot of turnoffs on the Skyline Drive so you could take in the views.
ReplyDeleteI remember this road well. Traveled it at the ripe old age of 13. It hasn't changed much...luckily.
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