Skyline Drive

[catbed]

anybody been riding on skyline drive before? ive been to shenandoah before in a car and i remember it aws twisty and on google maps, it looks even better than i remembered.

[Grandpa]

I've been on the Skyline Drive many times, as I live less than 100 miles from Front Royal. Neat road, but I must caution you about the following:

1. 35 mph speed limit, rigorously enforced. Way too low a limit. On the Blue Ridge Parkway, which starts south of Waynesboro, VA, the limit is 45 -- much more reasonable.

2. Lots of critters, especially deer and bear with which to collide. It's a national park, so everything is protected, with no hunting ever allowed. Every time I visit there I see bear, the last time a mom and two cubbies crossing the road.

3. Lots of traffic. Every flatland tourister goes there to gape at nature. Passing is usually hard to do. Motorhomes and such kind are there all the time. Weekdays are much better.

4. There's a $10 fee to get in. Ten-day passes are available, and you can get a National Park Service season pass there too. Only four places to get into the Park.

Recommendation: Skip the Skyline Drive, ride to Waynesboro, and get on the Parkway there. 469 miles from Waynesboro to Cherokee, NC.

[dpep]

Recommendation: Skip the Skyline Drive, ride to Waynesboro, and get on the Parkway there. 469 miles from Waynesboro to Cherokee, NC.

It's been ten years since I've ridden the Skyline. I remember at the time the road surface was not in good shape--cracks and potholes--compared to the Blue Ridge. I assume it has been resurfaced since then, but how well is the road surface maintained generally?

[jimcor]

If you ride in the spring during the gypsy moth caterpillar hatch, the road becomes slick with the goo from all the squashed bugs. Be careful.

[gsgeezer]

I has gotten really crowded over the years, I like the Blue Ridge Parkway better, too.

[Grandpa]

It's been ten years since I've ridden the Skyline. I remember at the time the road surface was not in good shape--cracks and potholes--compared to the Blue Ridge. I assume it has been resurfaced since then, but how well is the road surface maintained generally?

Don, the road surface is maintained regularly; however, there is so much traffic, by cars and motorhomes, that it's hard for the NPS to catch up to road deterioration. One-lane roads cause some bad slowdowns, especially on the hilly sections (actually, what part of the Skyline isn't hilly...?).

[jimcor]

Also add wild turkeys to the list of animals that will cross the road in front of you, then change their mind and turn around and go back or stand there trying to decide. Yep, Skyline drive and it was a flock of about seven or eight birds out for a hike in the rain. Dangerous fowl.

[skip]

I did skyline drive three years ago , and then again two years ago. last year i stayed home. I don't remember the surface being a problem. The first year we rode hard for hours and finally got caught. We deserved it. the park police were very fair and only gave us written warnings even though we were well past posted speed limits. the second time the only police presence was at the entrance to the park. once again we exceeded the speed limit but I would not say we were flying like we did the first year. The whole key is this.................Go during the week ! We went on wed both times and it worked out great. Very little traffic. Also don't speed on the straits! if you get aggressive in the turns you chance of getting caught is much lower. If you are going quick on the straits, your chance of getting caught goes way up.

[DMPLATT]

I did skyline drive three years ago , and then again two years ago. last year i stayed home. I don't remember the surface being a problem. The first year we rode hard for hours and finally got caught. We deserved it. the park police were very fair and only gave us written warnings even though we were well past posted speed limits. the second time the only police presence was at the entrance to the park. once again we exceeded the speed limit but I would not say we were flying like we did the first year. The whole key is this.................Go during the week ! We went on wed both times and it worked out great. Very little traffic. Also don't speed on the straits! if you get aggressive in the turns you chance of getting caught is much lower. If you are going quick on the straits, your chance of getting caught goes way up.

Sure is good advice. Also a great thing that Skip OBEYS ALL traffic laws To and From the Southeastern GS Rally.

:-\"

[Jethro]

Wow, seems awful funny to take advice about NOT getting a ticket from Skip...

[skip]

Wow, seems awful funny to take advice about NOT getting a ticket from Skip...

who better to take advice from but a seasoned veteran in the art of ticket getting?

[Lake Cle Elum]

I guess were not talking the California Skyline!!!!!!!!

[isleoman]

I guess were not talking the California Skyline!!!!!!!!

Lets talk amongst ourselves!

Found La Honda and Skyline by accident many years ago on a cross country trip. Knew nothing about it and we just wanted to get off Rt 1 north due to fog and rain and move inland and stumbled onto La Honda.

The bikes were packed down like mules for a cross country trip but even so I can still remember how our speed started to ramp up as one curve after another came into view. Been back several times since, wish I lived closer so it could be my Sunday morning drive to Alice's. Spent a week on my bike camping at Portola State park in the redwoods, wonderful experience. Get up each day with nothing to do but ride and explore. Best vacation of my life. Met Neil Young on his Harley during one trip.

Some of the finest motorcycling roads in the country

[Grandpa]

Skyline Drive, April 5, 2009

Sunday, April 5, I took my Venture on a tour of the upper Shenandoah Valley with a couple on a yellow Gold Wing (friends going back 30 years, but with terrible taste of color of motorcycle...). On the way back, we went on the Skyline Drive at US 211, to Front Royal, the northern end of the Drive.

Here's a picture my friend got of me and the Venture, pointing his camera backward, without looking. He got some other great pictures too. I did too, but it's not as hard to point the camera forward than it is backwards.