Hiking VA: Skyline Drive

 Skyline Drive

@Shenandoah National Park (SNP)

The Skyline Drive runs 105 miles north and south along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park and is the only public road through the Park. It takes about three hours to travel the entire length of the Park on a clear day. There are nearly 70 overlooks that offer stunning views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west or the rolling Piedmont to the east.

We entered from Thornton Gap Entrance Station at Rt. 211,  and exited at Swift Run Gap Entrance Station at Rt. 33. Stopping at overlooks, we made short hikes, and admired the wonders of nature - sky, clouds, meadows, and mountains.

                                               

                             

                              

                                           Black Hollow Run water falls near the Big Meadows.

                                        

                                           

                                        

 We were  luck enough to observe clouds forming from the valleys after the storms. Under the grey sky and between the blue mountains, white mists formed and rose, becoming larger and thinner, until wind blew them into the sky.

 The Skyline Drive is also a perfect place to star gaze under a clear sky. Our rental house was in the valley, and we were able to watch meteors flew by (8/12/2021) at the nearby field: one was like a fireball, and the other two pieced through the night sky.

Useful links:

https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/driving-skyline-drive.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_Drive