2 Best Sights in Central and Western Virginia, Virginia

Alternating between wide-open vistas and forest-hemmed stretches, Skyline Drive offers 105 miles of easily accessible wilderness. Designated as a National Historic Landmark, the winding two-lane scenic byway runs from Front Royal in the north to Waynesboro in the south. On weekends and holidays, in particular, a 35-mph speed limit, rubber-necking leaf-lookers, small overlook pull-offs, and the occasional black bear sighting can cause cars to inch along Skyline Drive. It's best to choose a weekday and give yourself a full day to explore; you may want to spend an hour or two simply savoring the views from a roadside boulder.

The Blue Ridge Parkway takes up where Skyline Drive leaves off at Waynesboro, weaving south for 469 miles to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. The parkway goes up to higher elevations than the drive, up to 4,200 feet at Apple Orchard Mountain, and even higher in North Carolina. In Virginia the parkway is especially scenic between Waynesboro and Roanoke, winding through the George Washington National Forest, visiting numerous ridgetop overlooks that provide views of crumpled-looking mountains and patchwork valleys.

Milepost 0 is at Rockfish Gap. There are no gas stations on the parkway, so you'll have to exit if you need to refuel, and be prepared for a leisurely drive as the speed limit is 45 mph. Go to the Visitor Center at Explore Park, open 9–5 daily year-round, 1.5 miles north of milepost 115 near Roanoke, or call the National Park Service's office in Vinton (540/857–2490) for information on Virginia's section of the parkway.