This Depression-Era Mountain Road Features 75 Scenic Overlooks Across Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains

Skyline Drive, Virginia

Running the spine of Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive packs more views into its 105 miles than most roads see in a thousand.

The park’s only public road has been the go-to mountain escape for DC locals and road trip fanatics since the ’30s, with ancient hardwood forests and quiet valleys on both sides. Here are some interesting facts, plus a few tips for the journey.

Rare Plants Survive in Tiny Rock Gaps

The rocky areas along Skyline Drive are home to rare plants like three-toothed cinquefoil and mountain sandwort that can live in tough conditions with barely any soil.

You might spot Heller’s blazing star, an endangered plant related to sunflowers that doesn’t grow anywhere else in the world.

These rocky spots create tiny environments with their own temperature and moisture levels that are completely different from the surrounding forest.

Government Officials Would Hide Here During Disasters

Just a few miles from Skyline Drive sits Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, a huge underground bunker complex built during the Cold War.

During the September 11 attacks, Congressional leaders were taken to this location for safety. FEMA still uses the facility to coordinate responses to national emergencies.

Depression-Era Workers Built This Road by Hand

Between 1931 and 1939, Skyline Drive construction gave jobs to over 1,000 local workers who desperately needed income. They earned about $1 per day, which made a huge difference during the Depression.

The project involved moving 385,000 cubic yards of material using only hand tools and basic machinery. After construction, workers planted more than 80,000 trees and shrubs to restore areas that had been disturbed.

These Stone Walls Were Built Without Mortar

Those stone guardrails you see along Skyline Drive were built without any mortar, using traditional dry-stack methods.

Workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps found all the stones locally and carefully chose each one based on its shape and strength. These walls have lasted through eight decades of harsh weather with very few repairs needed.

As you drive, you might notice that the walls look slightly different in various sections because they used whatever stone was available nearby.

Hundreds of Hawks Soar Over This Mountain Each Fall

When you visit Hawksbill Mountain along Skyline Drive, you’re standing at one of the best places in the world to watch raptor migration. The mountain creates special air currents that birds use to soar without flapping their wings.

During peak autumn days, you can see hundreds of broad-winged hawks, eagles, and falcons flying south. Bird counters here have tracked how migration timing has changed over the years because of climate change.

Copper Mining Once Happened at the Highest Point

Hawksbill Mountain, which stands at 4,050 feet, used to be a copper mining site back in the late 1800s. You can still find old mining roads on the northern slopes if you look carefully.

Miners used basic explosives to get the copper out and then transported it down dangerous mountain paths using mules.

The mine employed about 50 people but had to close when copper prices dropped in 1908, leaving behind equipment that has now been reclaimed by the forest.

The Salamander That Lives Nowhere Else on Earth

The Shenandoah salamander lives only on three north-facing rocky slopes along Skyline Drive, in an area smaller than 6 square kilometers.

Unlike most amphibians, this salamander has adapted to survive in drier conditions. With special permission, you can see one in their strictly protected habitat.

Their numbers have dropped by about 25% since 2000 due to climate change.

Two Forest Fires Changed the Plant Life Forever

Drive through the northern section of Skyline Drive, where you’ll notice younger trees growing among charred trunks from a 2016 wildfire (10,000 acres of carnage).

Further south, you can see another recovering forest from a fire in 2000. These burned areas now have more plant variety than sections that didn’t burn.

Plants like table mountain pine have thrived after the fires because their pinecones need intense heat to open and release seeds.

Old Moonshine Trails Run Through These Woods

Many of the hiking trails you can access from Skyline Drive follow paths that moonshiners used before Prohibition. From several overlooks, you can look down into valleys where people once ran illegal stills.

Local moonshiners could make up to 50 gallons of whiskey each week in these hidden spots. Park rangers actually found the last active moonshine operation within the park boundaries in 1997 near Overall Run.

You Might Spot a Black Bear on Your Morning Drive

As you drive through Skyline Drive, you’re passing through an area with about one black bear per square mile. Your best chance to see bears is during early morning drives, particularly in spring and fall.

The bears here are typically 30% smaller than bears out west because they eat different foods. Park scientists have tracked more than 350 bears with radio collars since 2000 to learn about how they move and use their habitat.

Stars Shine Brighter in This Certified Dark Sky Park

Since 2021, Shenandoah National Park has been recognized as an International Dark Sky Park. The park has additionally changed 85% of its lights to reduce light pollution and preserve the darkness.

On a clear night, you can see the Milky Way and up to 2,500 stars without any special equipment. Visit Big Meadows during the monthly stargazing programs for research-quality telescopes brought by professional astronomers.

Driving the Skyline Drive

You can start your journey from the north at Front Royal, Virginia (where Routes 340 and 55 meet) or from the south at Rockfish Gap (near the intersection of I-64 and US 250).

The road is open all day, every day, throughout the year, though sections may close during bad winter weather. Both the Dickey Ridge and Byrd Visitor Centers are open from March through November.

If you want to stay overnight, Skyland Resort and Big Meadows Lodge offer rooms from April through November. Make sure to book your stay well in advance, you can reserve up to 13 months ahead of time.