Travel through Big Meadows in spring and enjoy the displays of wildflowers, migrating birds, and the azaleas and mountain laurel that bloom along the drive.  At the Big Meadows Wayside there is a visitor center, gift shop, lodge, restaurant and fuel. Spring is beautiful with its new foliage, but the summer is the favored time to visit the Byway. Stop at the many overlooks for the beautiful views but be sure to take a minute to get a close look at the many blooms that cluster at the forest edge. Dickey Ridge is especially popular for this. There is a visitors center here as well.

Fall is the period for heaviest visitation with autumn colors of goldenrod and asters transitioning into the display of leaves, reaching its peak in mid to late October. The road can become a parking lot this time of year so it might not be as fun to ride. If you'd like to see the fall colors, plan on an weekday morning ride.

Winter is the quietest period along Skyline Drive, but you may find it your favorite season to enjoy the numerous overlooks, for the crisp winter air provides the clearest views and best opportunities for picture taking.

At milepost 42.6 is White Oak Canyon. A stop here and a hike will find you experiencing a spectacular setting and a place of wild beauty - a shady place of great boulders under tall hemlocks, of cascades and pools and sheer rock walls, and a steep gorge with six waterfalls.

Along the central section of Skyline Drive, between U.S. 211 and U.S. 33, are the main visitor facilities and the park's highest elevations. Check out Luray Caverns , a renowned natural wonder, while you are in the area.  

 Wildlife sightings are common along the Skyline Drive. Black bear and deer are the most often seen. If you feel like getting up close and personal, the best places for viewing are along the drive at Milam Gap, Skyland, and Big Meadows access roads; bear sightings are also common at Loft Mountain. At Loft mountain you will find a restaurant, fuel and lodging.

There are five campgrounds on Skyline Drive; Mathews Arm (on the northern end, at mile marker 22.1),  Big Meadows (mile 51.3), Lewis Mountain (mile 57.5), Loft Mountain (mile 79.5), and Dundo Campground (mile 83.7).    Dundo is a "group campground."  It is primarily for the use of scouting, and educational groups, and reservations are required.  If you try to pitch a tent here without a permit, a Park Ranger will courteously escort you out. 

 Fee Information:  There is a $10 fee for motorcycles for park entrance, it is good for 7 days. An annual pass to all national parks is advisable, if you plan to travel through several parks a year. More information can be found at the national park service.  

The speed limit is only 35 MPH on this road and is well enforced, so plan on taking it easy. Deer are abundant so be careful riding in the early morning and evening hours. If you continue on Skyline Drive heading south, it becomes the Blue Ridge Parkway after leaving the park, and leads down into North Carolina.

Map of  Skyline Drive