Foliage map › Scenic drives › Skyline Drive
Skyline Drive fall foliage drive
Skyline Drive runs about 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge through Shenandoah National Park, from Front Royal in the north to Rockfish Gap in the south, with about 70 overlooks looking east over the Piedmont and west over the Shenandoah Valley. The high central section around Skyland typically peaks around October 15, and the lower southern end near Rockfish Gap about a week and a half later.
- Route
- Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park
- From – to
- Front Royal to Rockfish Gap
- Length
- About 105 miles
- Driving time
- About 3 hours without stops
- Typical peak
- Oct 15 – Oct 24
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 15 at Skyland. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s status and the five-week outlook.
Status shown for Skyland, at 3,680 feet. See below for other points along the drive.
Peak along the route
Bars show the typical best-viewing window at each point. The dark mark is the typical peak. The last column shows today’s status.
Along the way
- Thornton Gap, where US 211 crosses the mountains, near the start of the central district.
- Skyland, at about 3,680 feet, the highest point on the drive, near the trail up Stony Man.
- Hawksbill Gap, the starting point for the climb to Hawksbill, the highest peak in the park.
- Big Meadows, a broad open meadow, near the trail down to Dark Hollow Falls.
- Swift Run Gap, where US 33 crosses the drive, at the start of the southern district.
- Rockfish Gap, at the southern end, where Skyline Drive meets the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Short walks
The trail to Stony Man, near Skyland, is a short climb to cliffs with a wide view over the valley. The Dark Hollow Falls trail, near Big Meadows, is short but steep on the way back up. Hawksbill has a summit view from the highest point in the park.
Good to know
Skyline Drive is a park road with a low speed limit and many overlooks, so allow much longer than the distance suggests.
The season at Skyland
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Nearby destinations and guides
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage on the Skyline Drive?
In a typical year, color along the Skyline Drive peaks from about October 15 at Skyland (Shenandoah NP) to about October 24 at Rockfish Gap. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long is the Skyline Drive?
About 105 miles, Front Royal to Rockfish Gap. About 3 hours without stops.
Peak dates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years. They are not live observations. How it works.