Skyline Drive / Blue Ridge Parkway
 

We're planning to do Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway this summer and I'm wondering if anyone who's done it can give some recommendations on places to stop and points of interest along the route or even just general advice about the ride.

Also if anyone has good hotels or B&B's on or near the route that would be helpful as well. We have some family in Waynesboro, VA and might stay there one night but looking for other options (perhaps in Roanoke, VA or Asheville, NC).

Any advice or recommendations from you guys that have done it would be appreciated.

If you have the time and energy (and suitable footwear) for a trail walk, Dark Hollow Falls and Old Stony Man Mountain are both quite worthwhile. They are south of Thornton Gap along Skyline Drive.

Luray Caverns (in the Shenandoah Valley west of Skyline) is also well worth seeing (and does not require any effort).

Little Switzerland, NC is a good place to stay on the south end. 4 days is plenty on the Parkway's. May want to take a day on the south end to do Smokey Mountain National Park, or Cherohola Parkway.Also go this web site and click on multi state trips for more details. www.touringdepot.com

This is a nice place to stay www.pisgahinn.com.

http://maggievalley.org/

http://www.wheelsthroughtime.com/

http://www.blueridgemotorcyclecamp.com/

http://www.cherohala.com/

I have only been on the southern end of Blue Ridge Pkwy but it is a beautiful ride. I have stayed at the Blue ridge Motorcycle camp and it is a great place to stay. they have small cabins or you can throw a tent anywhere there is grass. Maggie Valley is a great place to visit and has the wheels Through Time muesem. If I won the lottery I would retire and move to Maggie Valley and die a happy man.

The Cherohala is another beautiful road if you are going that far south.

Have Fun!

Hotel Floyd in Floyd Virginia is always our stop at the southern end. Cool little hippie town, hotel is way nicer than the prices suggest. We like the two bedroom suite shared, everyone gets their own bathroom. Goodfellas in town is not an Italian place, but a really good local joint.

last time we went, detours included Lurray Caverns, Monticello, Appomatix Courthouse and D-Day memorial near Roanoke. Also Roanoke downtown area has a bunch of nice restaurants and hotels.

Enjoy.

So for any of you guys that have done both the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Skyline Drive, which one would you do if you only had time for one?


We are going to be in Waynesboro and can either go North on the Skyline or South on the Blue Ridge. I'm not sure we'll have time to do both because of some other family functions going on (which is the reason for us going in the first place). We should have an extra couple days to ride so we want to take advantage of it since we'll be right there.


Are they similar in terms of ride quality and scenery or is one better than the other. If we do the Blue Ridge, we'll probably only have time for the North end, so our choice is between Skyline or the North end of Blue Ridge.

I would do the blue ridge, if just the north end check out freebornes.com. Down in blowing rock a good place to eat is www.woodlandsbbq.com

The D-Day Memorial at Bedford, VA is nice. It is located there since there were like 32 soldiers from the community that participated in the D-Day invasion, and 22 died from their wounds from that day.

I realize you said you only had a limited amount of time so I would do the Skyline Drive then jump off at Waynesville, (I used to live there) and get on 81 to 77 and cover some ground down to the Southern part of the Parkway. Much prettier vistas.

To me from the Boone area south to Asheville is the best.

Enjoy.