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Cycling the Skyline Road Biking on Virginia's Skyline Drive

The Blue Ridge Mountains rise like a green wall over the rolling piedmont country of central Virginia. Encompassing over 100 miles of this mountain chain is Shenandoah National Park , traversed by the popular Skyline Drive.

The Drive is a popular destination for motorists, especially during autumn, when cars loaded with tourists and day trippers come to admire the autumn foliage. But Skyline Drive is also a popular three-season destination for the road cyclist looking for a challenging, fun ride. The smooth blacktop, scenic views, and varied terrain make it a refreshing ride for cyclists from the serious to the recreational.

Skyline Drive was built during the dark years of the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), one of FDR's favorite New Deal organizations. Built as scenic route for motor touring, its 105 miles feature frequent scenic pull-offs, picnic grounds, way areas, and campgrounds. With a speed limit of 35 MPH, and motorists who are more interested in the view than in getting somewhere in a hurry, it's easy for cyclists to coexist with cars.

The narrow two-lane of Skyline Drive twists around and across the ridge line, and often is bordered on one side by thick woods, while the other side overlooks a sweeping panorama of farm land and forests in the valleys below. Wildlife is frequent, and riders will often pass by grazing deer and woodchucks, or round a curve to see a bear ambling across the road, or catch a glimpse of a bobcat bolting for cover.

Access to Skyline Drive is limited to four entry points, and not all of the road is open during the winter months. For more information, check out the useful National Park Service website: nps.org.

Learn more about this author, Ken Nail.
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