Venturing out on a last minute semi-planned road trip to chase the Fall colors on a photography journey, MrFaceless and I decided to start our adventure at Skyline Drive in Front Royal, VA.
Having briefly visited this area once before, we thought we’d give it a more thorough look and planned our travel with what we hoped would coincide with the height of fall colors (which I have found is an imprecise science.. at least in our experience).
Skyline Drive in Virginia is not an ordinary road. Stretching 105 miles through the Shenandoah National Park, this drive takes you on an expedition filled with stunning vistas, rich colors, and incredible feelings of conjoining with the best of nature.
We were warned by a ranger at the first Visitor’s Center we came across (Dickey Ridge Visitor Center) that the trip from top to bottom takes about 3.5 hours, including a couple stops. Our expectations were set and we were not disappointed. After spending warranted funds on tourist memorabilia (Shenandoah postcards/magnet/bag/sweatshirt), we set off on the eagerly anticipated drive.
We had timed things pretty well as we were immediately confronted with the colorful trees and other vegetation that line most of the drive. With 75 scenic overlooks, we stopped at a few where you could see miles of rolling mountains, lush forests, and amazing hues that were not the intensity of peak colors yet but breathtaking none-the-less. Each overlook offered a unique viewpoint and opportunity to fill your eyes with the amazement of nature, something my daily city eyes were starved to see.
The drive itself was spectacular… we had timed things well. The road was filled with twists and turns and every bend had the potential to reveal a new masterpiece. It is simply a never-ending drive of stunning views around every turn. My color appreciation was in overdrive.
The drive itself was more in peak than the valleys below. The greens mixed with bursts of orange, red, and gold were pleasing to look at and the sections with sheaths of warm yellow were heart-warming.
Fall can obviously be very busy. Per the luck of the draw, our drive was on a Friday, peak tourist time. We entered the park early, hoping traffic would be at a minimum at the start of the day. That proved to be the case as traffic increased with the time of day. The Skyline area offers access to over 500 miles of hiking trails and we noticed the full parking lots at Trailheads as we drove by.
We didn’t have time for hiking this time round, partly due to an ankle injury MrFaceless was still reminding me of constantly, so we settled for the slow drive and occasional stop at one of the many overlooks.
With 3 Visitor’s Centers and additional campground options, the drive was easy and amazing and, surprisingly though a Friday, stress-free. Though there are a couple, if limited, food options available, we brought snacks and opted to park at one of the overlooks to brew coffee and take in the incredible view.
In sum, Skyline Drive is a treasure full of natural beauty waiting to be experienced. With extraordinary views, potential wildlife sightings, and miles of hiking trails available, it offers a memorable experience for your choice of relaxation. I would heartily recommend it to anyone… and even to us, again, in the future to see the landscape of a different season or finally stop at one of the touted trails. I definitely hope to do this again.
We hope you have enjoyed our little journey together – the story and the video; if so please head over and leave a comment on youtube – and a like and subscribe is always much appreciated!
Until next time…..