The 5 Scenic Byway Trips in Virginia You Need To Take

Virginia is home to five of America's Byways, a national designation given to significant and scenic roads around the country. Travelers on these winding and curvy drives will experience breathtaking vistas of natural beauty with distinct and diverse historic and cultural qualities.

Read on to learn about Virginia’s scenic byways and start planning your road trip. 

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

Known as America’s Favorite Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway meanders from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. The parkway follows the Appalachian Mountain chain and provides some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a registered National Parkway and All-American Road.

Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway may be closed due to construction; check the real-time closures before departing for your trip!

Region: Blue Ridge Highlands

Total mileage: 469 Miles

Starting and ending points in Virginia: Waynesboro and Galax

Route: Interstates 64, 81 and 77 have directions for accessing the parkway. Access the parkway from a number of points on either side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Parkway maps here.

Speed Limit: 25-45 MPH

Entry Fee: $0

You’ll pass through: Waynesboro, Buena Vista, Buchanan, Roanoke, Floyd, Meadows of Dan, and Fancy Gap

Roadside Attractions: Scenic overlooks, historic structures, hiking and walking trails, and waterfalls are just some of the highlights along the parkway. Stops include Peaks of Otter, Mabry Mill, and historic cities like Roanoke.

Pro Tip: Use our complete guide to the Blue Ridge Parkway to plan an unforgettable road trip!

COLONIAL PARKWAY

Stretching from the York River to the James River, the Colonial Parkway connects the Historic Triangle — Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. A byway lined with incredible seasonal color, it was created by the National Park Service over the course of 26 years. As you drive, you'll notice the parkway is surfaced differently than modern thoroughfares and includes brick bridges and tunnels.

Region: Coastal Virginia

Total Mileage: 23 miles

Starting and ending points in Virginia: Yorktown and Jamestown

Time to Drive: Approximately an hour

Route: From I-64 take exit 242A and follow 199 West to the Colonial Parkway or take exit 242 B for Yorktown to the Colonial Parkway. Parkway maps here.

Speed Limit: 35-45 MPH

Fees: $0

You’ll pass through: Williamsburg

Roadside Attractions:

Colonial Parkway is part of Colonial National Historical Park. The park includes 10,221 acres of connected historical storytelling between the sites of the Historic Triangle. Use our complete guide to visiting Williamsburg to help start your journey. 

SKYLINE DRIVE

Skyline Drive is the main drag through the nearly 200,000-acre Shenandoah National Park. The drive is not only a designated National Scenic Byway but also a National Historic Landmark. It runs the entire length of Shenandoah National Park and into the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Region: Shenandoah Valley

Total Mileage: 105 miles

Starting and ending points in Virginia: Front Royal and Waynesboro

Time to Drive: Three hours

Route and Access Points: There are four access points to Skyline Drive: Rt. 340 near Rt. 66 in Front Royal; Rt. 211 in Thornton Gap; Rt. 33 in Swift Run Gap and Rt. 250 near Rt. 64 in Rockfish Gap.

Speed Limit: 35 MPH

Entry Fee: $30 Shenandoah National Park entry fee. See fee-free days here. 

You’ll pass through: Thornton Gap, Swift Run Gap, Rockfish Gap

Roadside Attractions:

Fall is the most popular time to travel along Skyline Drive, with its colorful foliage from late September to mid-November. But spring offers the most colorful wildflowers along the drive, as well as blooming azaleas and mountain laurel.

Hiking, birding, wildlife trails, and waterfalls are all activities travelers can enjoy. With 75 overlooks and plenty of places to stay, like Big Meadows Lodge, Skyland Resort, and the Shenandoah National Park camping grounds, this drive is sure to be an adventure. You can also check out what to do near each of the four entrances to make the most of your trip. 

THE JOURNEY THROUGH HALLOWED GROUND

Explore “Where America Happened” and discover the land of conflict and reunification. This journey will take you through America’s heritage with key locations during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. This historic byway will give you and your family a well-rounded excursion through the Piedmont Region of Virginia.

Region: Northern Virginia

Total Mileage: 180 miles long and 75 miles wide

Starting and ending points in Virginia: Leesburg and Charlottesville

Time to Drive: 4.5 hours

Route: The byway begins in Virginia at the Virginia and Maryland border just south of Point of Rocks on US 15. Get a full map.

Speed Limit: Varies

Fees: $0

You’ll pass through: Leesburg, Haymarket, Warrenton, Remington, Culpeper, Orange

Roadside Attractions:

This byway travels through a region with exceptional historic value. With five Virginia presidential homes found on this journey, including Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, you can make this road trip into an active history lesson. Head to Carter Mountain Orchard to pick apples, eat some hot and fresh apple cider donuts, and enjoy the mountain views.

Don’t forget to stop in Charlottesville for a selection of first-rate museums, wineries, shops, and restaurants dispersed throughout the area.

GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY

Just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. is the George Washington Memorial Parkway, created specifically for scenic driving. It was designed in the 1930s as a scenic drive accessible to northern Virginia and nearby D.C.

Region: Northern Virginia

Total Mileage: 25-50 Miles

Starting and ending points in Virginia: McLean (near the Virginia-Maryland state line) and Mount Vernon

Time to Drive: Approximately an hour

Route: George Washington Memorial Parkway is accessible from I-495, I-95, and I-66.

Speed Limit: 20-50 MPH

Fees: Great Falls Park is the only site on the parkway with an entrance fee.

You’ll pass through: Arlington and Alexandria

Roadside Attractions:

Memorial Parkway stretches from Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, along the Virginia side of the Potomac past an array of scenic and historical sites, packing a lot into its relatively short distance.

In addition to having adjacent hiking trails, the drive also has overlooks and stops at cultural and historical sites. Beyond Mount Vernon, scenic drivers can visit Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, Jones Point Lighthouse, and Arlington National Cemetery.

Find one of the four parkway picnic areas and have a shady meal. Nearing the north end of the parkway you can explore Turkey Run Park, a fitting capstone to this lesser-known Virginia national park scenic drive.

Keep planning your Northern Virginia getaway with our complete guides to visiting Arlington and Alexandria.