Mountain Drives | History and Beauty | More Scenic Byways

Mountain Drives

Meander the 105 miles of Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park and along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains starting at Front Royal and heading south to Waynesboro. At that point, the Blue Ridge Parkway - "America's Favorite Drive" - can carry you another 469 miles to North Carolina, if you wish. Don't miss Peaks of Otter, Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Music Center.

The Nelson Scenic Loop in Nelson County is 50 miles incorporating the Blue Ridge Parkway with spurs leading to hiking, biking, birding, amazing scenery like Crabtree Falls and tasty wineries and breweries.

The Highlands Scenic Byway is a 19 mile loop between Clifton Forge and Lexington. The scenic drive is a must-see experience for all visiting Virginia's Western Highlands and makes the outdoors and nature accessible even to those who would rather not hike into a wilderness area. 

An adjacent route to Highlands Scenic Byway is the Appalachian Waters Scenic Byway that traverses Route 39 between Lexington and Summersville, West Virginia. Way points to look forward to are Goshen Pass, Millboro, Warm Springs, and Hot Springs, home of The Omni Homestead Resort.

Motorcyclists especially enjoy the winding cut-backs of Back of the Dragon, a "two lane ribbon" that courses between Tazewell and Marion in Southwest Virginia.

Big Walker Mountain Scenic Byway passes through national forest and private land, showcasing mountain vistas, historic farm homesteads and tree-lined forests. 

History and Beauty

Winding through America's Historic Triangle is Colonial Parkway, a 23-mile National Scenic Byway connecting Historic Jamestowne, Jamestown Settlement, Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown Battlefield and Yorktown Victory Center.

In Northern Virginia and traversing from George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate through Washington, DC and into Maryland, is theGeorge Washington Memorial Parkway. More than 25 sites are available along the Parkway, inviting you to stop and stretch your legs.

The Journey Through Hallowed Ground is a scenic drive encompassing presidential  and Civil War sites. It's 180 miles long and stretches from Gettysburg in Pennsylvania to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Download the National Heritage Area map.

More Scenic Byways

• Route 11 from Strasburg to New Market
• Route 58 from Gates City to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
• Route 61 from Narrows to Tazewell – including Burke's Garden
• Route 220 from Monterey to Covington – including Douthat State Park and Warm Springs
• Route 10 from Hopewell to Smithfield – including Bacon’s Castle and Chippokes PlantationState Park
• Route 8 from I-81 near Christiansburg through Floyd and to Stuart – nearby is Fairy StoneState Park, Lovers Leap on Route 58 and Meadows of Dan
• Route 13 on Eastern Shore 
• Route 5 from Richmond to Williamsburg – James River Plantations and Jamestown Discovery Trail
• Route 611 - Cumberland Mountain Scenic Drive
• Route 43 from Buchanan to Bedford County

Also See: 

• Virginia's Coastal Spring Drives
• Scenic Motorcycle Drives to Try Out
• Scenic Drives for Virginia History
• Scenic Drives for Virginia Wine