Skyline Drive: What You Need to Know Before You Go

Whether you are a National Park enthusiast or just enjoy being out in nature, you might want to consider visiting Skyline Drive in Virginia at Shenandoah National Park. It’s amazing to experience and it is easy to see the beauty of God’s creation, no matter where you look. Before you head out though, here are a few things to consider that will help make your trip run smoothly…

Research the best places to stop before you go

On Skyline Drive there are over 70 overlooks you can stop at during the 105 mile drive. Because you most likely won’t want to stop at each one, you might want to do a quick google search before you go to help you decide your top choices. You can write down a handful of stops (with their mile markers) that you can reference on your journey. You may also like to look up the different hiking paths you can stop at to add in a little exercise along the way. How fun would it be if you could say you hiked a small portion of the Appalachian Trail! Writing these stops down before you go is a good idea as cellular service can be a little spotty.

Limited bathrooms

Bathrooms are not always readily available and because of the length of the drive as well as the 35 mph speed limits, you will need to be prepared for longer periods of time between restrooms. There are a few stops along the way though where you will find a visitor center or gift shop and these are good places to find a restroom. If this is a concern, you may want to prepare beforehand by mapping out where these stops are along the drive.

Go at the right season

Are you wanting to see the trees change colors in the fall or visit when the air is crisp in spring? Before you make your vacation plans, it may be a good idea to search the internet for when the ideal time to visit is depending on what you are wanting to see. For example, in the fall, while the trees are beautiful for many weeks, there are one or two weeks where the colors might be more vibrant than others. Doing a little research before you go could mean the difference between a great visit and a spectacular one.

It can take several hours

If you plan to drive most or all of Skyline Drive you will want to allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy it. The speed limit on this drive is low (often 35 mph) as you are driving two lane curving roads. It will take several hours to drive all the way through. You will also want to plan extra time to stop, visit the visitor center and go on a hike as well as see the different overlooks for beautiful views. If you plan to spend most of your day on Skyline drive, that can help you not feel rushed and or have to skip things you want to see.

Bring hiking gear if you want to hike

If you plan to go hiking, you will want to be prepared. Depending on the hike you choose, you may want to bring hiking shoes, a hiking stick, a sack lunch and snacks, water and the appropriate clothing for the weather. Throughout Skyline Drive you can stop at different hikes with a variety of distances and difficulty levels. Research the best ones for you to stop at (and what mile marker they are at) before you go so you don’t miss out on the fun.

Bring water, snacks and a lunch

Whether you are hiking or just enjoying the drive, it may be best to plan to bring some snacks or a sack lunch to take with you. While there are a few places you can get off of Skyline drive and then get back on after stoppin lunch, you may just want to stay in your car and not have the added hassle. To help with that, I recommend bringing water and food along to have while you enjoy the national park. 

Be prepared to pay the entrance fee

There is an entrance fee that you will be asked to pay to drive on Skyline Drive. At the time of writing this article, the entrance fee for one vehicle was $30 and there are other options you can check out here: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/fees.htm 

Get your national park stamp

If you love visiting National Parks then you probably know all about the stamps (called cancelations) you can get at each one. If you have a national park passport book, you don’t want to forget to stop and add this stamp to your collection. If you don’t have a passport book, you can most likely find small square pieces of paper available at the gift shop that you can stamp and take home as well. I started out this way and plan to add them to my new passport book with tape or glue when I get it. 

Also, if you love visiting national parks you should check out three hikes you should do at Big Bend National Park: https://suitcasesandsalt.com/three-hikes-everyone-should-do-at-big-bend-national-park/

Cellular service can be spotty in the mountains

And last but not least, something to keep in mind is that cellular service can be pretty spotty and even non-existent up in the mountains. Due to this, it’s good to have a plan for directions and how you will contact anyone in your group while you are there. Like I mentioned above, you will also want to research stops and hikes before you go, just in case you can’t get anything to pull up on your phone while there. You can also visit the visitor center if you need help with direction, advice on what hikes to do or overlooks to stop at.

I can’t say enough about how beautiful Shenandoah National Park is. I highly recommend you add it to your list of places to visit! – Pepper and Passports

Want a different type of vacation? Here are 14 things I did on my first ever cruise: https://pepperandpassports.com/first-time-carnival-cruise-14-things-i-did/