Winter conditions on Skyline Drive may necessitate closures at any time. For the most up-to-date road status, call 540-999-3500 (option 1, option 1). 

You are invited to “ride the sky” along Skyline Drive, one of America’s favorite mountain drives.  The historic 105-mile Skyline Drive, a National Scenic Byway, traverses Shenandoah National Park, a beautiful, historic national treasure.

The mountain top highway winds its way north-south through Shenandoah’s nearly 200,000 acres along the spine of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

Shenandoah National Park varies in width from less than one mile to about thirteen miles, so that views from peaks and overlooks will captivate and delight.  There are 75 scenic overlooks that offer stunning views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west or the rolling piedmont to the east.  While you are gazing out at the views, keep a close eye on the road too, as deer, black bear, wild turkey, and a host of other woodland animals call Shenandoah home and regularly cross Skyline Drive in their daily travels.

Roadside wildflowers put on a show all year long. In early spring, you can see trillium peeking through the grass. June’s display of azaleas is spectacular, and cardinal flower, black-eyed susans, and goldenrod keep the color coming right into fall.

As you travel along Skyline Drive you will notice mileposts on the west side (right side if you are traveling south) of the road. These posts help you find your way through the park and help you locate areas of interest. The mileposts begin with 0.0 at Front Royal and continue to 105 at the southern end of the park. The speed limit is 35 mph. It takes about three hours to travel the entire length of the park on a clear day.  Clearance for Marys Rock Tunnel (just south of Thornton Gap entrance from Route 211) is 12’8”.

Skyline Drive is your gateway to Virginia adventure.

Skyline Drive is closed only in snow or ice, and at night during deer-hunting season.