Shenandoah National Park’s famous Skyline Drive is an exhilarating bucket-list ride for motorcyclists of all stripes, especially in the Fall.
Photos: S-curve - Cameron Whitman / Shutterstock | Motorcyclist - Kaponia Aliaksei / Shutterstock | Composition and lighting: Mark James Bernardo
With 105 miles of twists and turns along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, motorcyclists are indulged with breathtaking scenery, exceptional opportunities to see wildlife, and smooth well-angled roads. Just 80 miles west of Washington DC, and traversing Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, riders can hop on Skyline Drive at Front Royal, --depending on where you’re coming from there are actually 4 places where you can enter the roadway. Download a map here. If you love nature and carving your way along a beautifully graded road, you’ll not be disappointed.
Photo: Kaponia Aliaksei / Shutterstock | Lighting: Mark James Bernardo
What to expect
This isn’t a Pikes Peak Run. The 35-miles-per-hour speed limit is just right to enjoy yourself, ride well, and not end up in a ravine. It’ll take 3 hours if you plan to motor through the entire century ride without stopping, from Front Royal to Waynesboro, or vice versa. However it’s not all about being one with the machine --right?-- it’s about freedom, which for most us nowadays means setting out on an adventure, not an agenda. Returning riders recommend taking the time to take it all in. Tell the boss you’re going to need a few days. There are great places to stay in and near the park, and in addition to 75 scenic overlooks where you can pull over and take off your helmet, the route also boasts amazing camping, hiking, and stream fishing.
Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway
An interesting clarification for the non-locals: Though often confused, Skyline Drive is not part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. BRP picks up at the southern end of Skyline Drive. There are similarities, not the least of which are the magnificent ridgeline vistas, but where BRP is more like a regular road, and much longer, Skyline Drive is a select tour of wilderness with gratuitous cornering opportunities for you and your enduro. Also, full disclosure, unlike BRP, which is free to ride and easy to get on and off, Skyline Drive requires a toll to enter the park, and has only four points of access. Both are beloved, but for the internal combustion purist, Skyline’s certain degree of exclusivity may be the point.
It would be imprudent if we didn’t say a bit about motorcycle safety, myths, and the truth about older riders:
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Xxxx & Xxxx Personal Injury Lawyers are experienced with all serious vehicle injuries including those sustained in motorcycle accidents. If you’ve been hurt in an accident involving a motorcycle, we’re here for you. Call us for a free consultation, (xxx) xxx-xxxx, or contact us on the web.