Skyline Drive is a 105-mile (169 km) road running the entire length of Shenandoah National Park National Park Service in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, generally along the ridge. The north drive terminal is at an intersection with US Route 340 (US 340) near the Front Royal, and the southern terminal is at a crossroads with US 250 near Interstate 64 (I-64) at Rockfish Gap, where the road continues south as the Blue Ridge Parkway. This road has intersections between with US 211 in Thornton Gap and US 33 in Swift Run Gap. Skyline Drive is part of Virginia State Route 48, which also includes the Virginia section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, but this appointment is not signed.
The park entrance fee is charged on four access points to the drive. Skyline Drive is a two-lane street with 75 sights giving views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west and Piedmont to the east. Drive provides access to a variety of paths, including the Appalachian Trail, and is also used for cycling and horseback riding. Skyline Drive is the main road through Shenandoah National Park and has access to campgrounds, visitor centers, and resorts like Skyland Resort and Big Meadows. Beautiful drives are very popular in autumn because peeping leaves when the leaves change color. Skyline Drive is designated as National Scenic Byway and National Historic Landmark and is registered with the National Register of Historic Places.
Plan to date the way back to 1924 when the national park is planned in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and its main feature is to be a "sky-line drive" that provides views of the surrounding land. President Herbert Hoover, who has a summer home in Rapidan Camp, called for road construction. Groundbreaking for Skyline Drive occurred in 1931. The first part, which originally was a run from Rapidan Camp to Skyland, was extended between Swift Run Gap and Thornton Gap and opened in 1934. Skyline Drive expanded northward to the Front Royal in 1936 and south to Jarman Gap in 1939. The road between Jarman Gap and Rockfish Gap was built as part of the Blue Ridge Parkway in 1939 and incorporated into Skyline Drive in 1961. The Civil Conservation Corps played a major role in building Skyline Drive. Improvements have been made to the road since it was built. Skyline Drive was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, becoming National Scenic Byway in 2005, and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2008.
Video Skyline Drive
Route description
Skyline Drive takes the winding north-south path along the summit of the Blue Ridge Mountains east of the Shenandoah River from the Royal Front to Rockfish Gap, serving as the only public road through Shenandoah National Park. There are four entry points to Skyline Drive located at US 340 near I-66 on Front Royal, US 211 at Thornton Gap, US 33 at Swift Run Gap, and US 250 near I-64 at Rockfish Gap. At the southern end of Gap Rockfish connects to the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a free access road that continues south along the Blue Ridge Mountains. On the west side of the drive, milepost is present. They are numbered from 0 to 105 (north to south) and serve as a reference point toward the drive. There are 75 sights along the way, giving views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west and Piedmont to the east.
The speed limit is 35 miles per hour (56 km/h), due to curves, wildlife and tourists. Bicycles, motor vehicles, and pedestrians share the road. There are also deer, black bears, turkeys, and other wildlife, which may appear and cross the road without warning. All this takes extra action. The speed limit inside the park is strictly enforced by park guards. Many paths are accessible along the drive, including some of the Appalachian Trail, which follows the path.
Cycling and horseback riding are other leisure activities that are allowed on the road. These drives are popular in the fall to peep leaves to see fall foliage. Skyline Drive is closed from dusk until dawn from November to early January to ensure the forest guards can control illegal hunting. Drive can also be closed for a short time after snow or ice storm. Skyline Drive is designated as National Scenic Byway.
Front Royal to Thornton Gap
Skyline Drive begins at the intersection with US 340 south of Front Royal in Warren County, heading east to the dense forest of Shenandoah National Park as an undivided two-lane road. The road curves south and passes the Front Royal Entrance, where a ranger station is located. At this point, drive south wind and ride to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The highway leads to the southwest and comes to the Shenandoah Valley. Observe on the west side of the road.
Skyline Drive blows south and reaches the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, which has a ranger station, picnic grounds, and toilets. Further south, the road reached Dickey Hill. The road continues south to the Gooney Knob Overlook facing southwest, where it turns east and winds through the Low Pass. Drive heading east to look at Compton Gap, where he veers south along winding roads, across the border of Warren and Rappahannock county, and runs parallel to the Appalachian Trail, which closely follows Skyline Drive for the rest of the route. The road curved toward the southwest and reached the top of the North Marshall. After reaching the south-facing Range View Overlook, the road turns west along a winding road, bending to the southwest. Travel past Mount Marshall Overlook on the east side, where it leads west.
Skyline Drive reaches Hogback Overlook at Hogback Mountain overlooking the northwest and turns south. The road goes west and crosses the line between Page and Rappahannock County, coming to Mathews Arm, where a camp and ranger station are located. The journey turned south and reached Elkwallow, which housed the toilet, picnic area, camp shop, and food service. Skyline Drive keeps going and comes to Jeremys Run Overlook on the west side of the road before the wind blows east. The road comes to face east of Thornton Hollow and back south, come to Beahms Gap Parking on the west side of the road. Drive across Pass Mountain as it continues south. Skyline Drive came to the intersection with US 211 at Thornton Gap Entrance, located at Thornton Gap east of Luray and west of Sperryville. A ranger station is at the entrance station.
Thornton Gap to Swift Run Gap
Passing the intersection of US 211, Skyline Drive continues into southeast Panorama, which is the location of the toilet. Walk past the Marys Rock Tunnel under Mary's Rock and wind south. The highway passes west of the Meadow Spring Parking before coming to the south-facing Pinnacles Overlook, where the wind blows west. Skyline Drive reaches a Jewell Hollow Overlook facing west and leads to the southwest that runs across the border of Page and Madison County. Walk past Pinnacles, where toilets and picnic grounds are located, and walk through the Hughes River Gap. The journey continues south and passes Stony Man Overlook and Little Stony Man Parking on the west side of the road, where the footpath leads to Stony Man Mountain. Further along, the road turns west along the tortuous stretch. Skyline Drive reaches its highest point at an altitude of 3,680 feet (1,120 m) and continues to the southwest. This road reaches Skyland, where Skyland Resort is located offering food, lodging and toilets. Also located at this point is the Whiteoak Canyon Parking on the east side of the street. The journey continues south and passes Limberlost Parking on the east side and Timber Hollow Overlook facing west. The highway then blew south past Bettys Rock. Further south, Skyline Drive reaches Hawksbill Gap Parking, where the trail leads to Hawksbill Mountain, the highest peak in Shenandoah National Park at 4,051 feet (1,235 m). Walk on and come to overlook the Old Rag View Overlook, where it veers west and passes south of the Upper Hawksbill Parking. This trip came to Knock Overlook facing west and turned south. The road turns southwest and passes northwest of the Dark Hollow Falls Parking, where the footpath leads to the 70 foot (21 m) tall waterfalls of Berongga, the closest waterfall to Skyline Drive. In the past here, the road reached the Big Meadows, where there are ranger stations, toilets, campgrounds, picnics, food, and lodging. Big Meadows is also the location of Byrd Visitor Center and on the roadside with restaurants, gas stations, souvenir shops, and camp shops.
In the past here, Skyline Drive continues along the southern path. At the Milam Gap Parking, the path leads east to Rapidan's Camp, where President Herbert Hoover has a summer residence from 1929 to 1932. The road passes through Hazeltop before passing the Bootens Gap, where it crosses the Page and Greene boundaries. The road crosses Bush Mountain before coming to the Bearfence Mountain Parking at Bearfence Mountain. Skyline Drive continues south to Lewis Mountain, where a campground, picnic, lodging, and toilets are located. The road led along the border between the Rockingham and Greene regions as it went south. The journey continues south-southwest and reaches South River, which is home to toilets and picnic spots. The road leads to the southwest and comes to a crossroads with US 33 at Swift Run Gap Entrance, located in Swift Run Gap east of Elkton and west of Stanardsville.
Swift Run Pass to Gap Rockfish
After the 33 US exchanges, Skyline Drive headed southwest. Drive past the Smith Roach Gap and come to Bacon Hollow Overlook to the south, where the curve curves to the west. Drive past the Powell Gap and reach the western Eaton Hollow Overlook, where it veers southwest and winds. The road turned south and reached the ranger station at Simmonds Gap. Skyline Drive continues south to Loft Mountain Overlook on the east side, where it alternates west before heading northwest. The road then makes a sharp turn to the southwest. This road crosses the border of the Rockingham and Albemarle regions and continues south to Loft Mountain Wayside, which is the location of toilets and food services. Skyline Drive leads to the southwest and comes to Loft Mountain, where ranger stations, toilets, campsites, and camping shops are located. Drive past Browns Gap Parking before coming to Dundo, where a scenic northwest, toilet, picnic spot, and Dundo Group Camp are located.
From here, drive southwest and pass to the west of the Jones Run Parking, where the trail leads to Jones Run Falls, before heading east from the Blackrock Summit Parking. Skyline Drive south wind past Blackrock and turn west. The road headed north before the hairpin turns south on the Blackrock Gap, where it follows the border between Augusta and Albemarle County. Further south, Skyline Drive passes through Wildcat Ridge Parking Area before coming to Crimora Lake Overlook facing west. The road continues past Mount Turk Observing on the west side of the road before it reaches Turk Gap Parking to the east. The drive winds south through Jarman Gap before turning southwest and continues westward facing Mount Betin, to the southeast. Skyline Drive past Beagle Gap, turn south. The road headed southwest and westward to the north facing the McCormick Gap, where it swerved back to the southwest. The journey continues and passes through the Rockfish Gap Entrance Station, where the ranger station is located. Then here, head south and come to the bridge over I-64 before reaching the intersection with US 250 that provides access to I-64 at Rockfish Gap in Augusta County, which is located east of Waynesboro and west of Charlottesville. At this junction, Skyline Drive ends and the road continues south as the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Maps Skyline Drive
Entrance fee
The main entry points to Skyline Drive are located at Front Royal, Thornton Gap, Swift Run Gap, and Rockfish Gap. Charges are collected at four Skyline Drive access points. The fee is not the toll that is charged for driving on the road, but the entrance fee for the park itself. Various tickets allow to get into the park. The $ 25.00 ticket applies to unlimited entrances within a seven-day period for non-commercial private vehicles. A seven-day pass costs $ 15.00 for motorcycles and $ 10.00 for individuals aged 16 years or older who enter in other ways other than non-commercial private vehicles. The commercial tour pays between $ 25.00 and $ 200.00 for a seven-day ticket, depending on the number of passengers. The annual park entrance fee costs $ 50.00 for non-commercial private vehicles. Entrance can also be obtained through America the Beautiful: National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass series. In this series, the Annual Pass costs $ 80.00, the lifetime Senior Pass is worth $ 10.00, the lifelong Access Pass allows free admission for the disabled, and Volunteer Pass allows free admission for volunteers working over 250 hours of work for the following year. Free Annual Pass is also available for members of the US Armed Forces and fourth graders can earn free admission for their entire family through Every Kid in a Park Pass.
History
In 1924, the Southern Appalachian National Park Committee was looking for a site for a national park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia that would be easily accessible from major cities on the East Coast of the United States such as Washington, DC and settled on the current site in Shenandoah National Park. As part of the recommendation for the park is "the greatest single feature" to become a "sky drive" that will provide views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west and Piedmont to the east. The idea for the road was suggested by committee member William C. Gregg to the board members of Shenandoah Valley, Inc. L. Ferdinand Zerkel during a visit to Skyland. In 1929, President Herbert Hoover, who set up summer homes in the area, called for roads built along the Blue Ridge Mountains. The road was proposed to be named Hoover Highway, but instead it would be known as Skyline Drive.
The field survey for roads began in January 1931. On July 18 of that year, an official breakthrough for Skyline Drive took place. The first part of the road will be built from Rapidan Camp to Skyland Resort, but will be extended from Swift Run Gap to Thornton Gap. Funds for the first stretch of the drive came from the Federal Drought Relief Administration and employed local farmers and apple pickers who suffered severe drought in 1930. In late 1932, Congress approved $ 1 million (equivalent to $ 14.8 million in 2016,) in the form funds to build Skyline Drive, which will be expanded from the Royal Front to the Swift Run Gap. The Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) was formed in 1933 and will have a hand in the construction of Skyline Drive. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was impressed with the mountain scenery and set up the first CCC camp along Skyline Drive. These camps are the first placed in the national park. The CCC assesses the slopes on both sides of the road, builds fences and rock walls, constructs landscapes, and plants thousands of trees and shrubs along the parkway. Three different companies were awarded contracts for asphalt road surfaces. The Skyline Drive section between Thornton Gap and Swift Run Gap opened in the middle of 1934 and cost $ 1,570,479 (equivalent to $ 22.6 million in 2016,). This section of the road includes the Marys Stone Tunnel, a tunnel saturated through Marys Rock. A tunnel is built at this location compared to the pieces. The tunnel is justified as a money-saving measure, but it is also advisable to challenge architects of General Street Architect and landscaping National Parks. With the official establishment of Shenandoah National Park in 1935, the CCC employs 300 men, mostly non-locals, to continue building Skyline Drive. On October 1, 1936, the drive was completed between Front Royal and Thornton Gap at a cost of $ 1,235,177 (equivalent to $ 17.2 million in 2016). The portion of Skyline Drive from Swift Run Gap to Jarman Gap opened for traffic on August 29, 1939, for $ 1,666,528 (equivalent to $ 23.1 million in 2016,). The road between Jarman Gap and Rockfish Gap was built as part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and completed on August 11, 1939, at a cost of $ 358,636 (equivalent to $ 4.97 million in 2016). Part of the Blue Ridge Parkway was given to Shenandoah National Park in 1961 and became the southernmost part of Skyline Drive. The creation of parks and the construction of Skyline Drive resulted in many people losing their homes either voluntarily or by force; some of the houses in the park are now being destroyed.
Skyline Drive was initially lined with miles of chestnut wooden fences. However, the guardrail was decomposed and removed in the 1950s and not replaced. The Marys Rock Tunnel was partially coated with concrete in 1958 to prevent ice in winter and water seepage in the summer. In 1983, the Federal Highway Administration began work to replace some original stone walls in the drive with concrete walls that use native stone as veneer. The road was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 28, 1997. On September 22, 2005, Skyline Drive was designated the National Scenic Byway. Skyline Drive was designated as a National Historic Landmark in October 2008 for its pioneering place in the development of national parks in the eastern United States.
Destination
See also
- U.S. Road Portal.
- Portal Virginia
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
References
External links
- Official website of Shenandoah National Park
- Historical American Engineering Record (HAER) no. VA-119, "Skyline Drive, From Front Royal, VA to Gap Rockfish, VA, Luray, Page County, VA", 117 photos, 18 images measurable, 11 photos photo page
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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