Here Is The Most Beautiful Place In Virginia, Conde Nast Says

Summer is synonymous with vacation and whether or not you have a family holiday planned already, the good news is you don’t have to travel outside of Virginia for a much-needed getaway.

The Commonwealth is full of beautiful vacation destinations but there is one location that stands out. This month, Conde Nast Traveler says it did some digging and named the most beautiful place in every U.S. state.

“No state is the same, and each has its stars, the kind of sights that make you catch your breath and nearly veer off the highway,” Conde Nast writes. The magazine writes that the list “only scrapes the surface” of what the U.S. has to offer, so consider it as a starting point.

In Virginia, Conde Nast named Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park the most beautiful place in the state. The historic 105-mile Skyline Drive, a National Scenic Byway, traverses Shenandoah National Park. The mountaintop highway winds its way north-south through Shenandoah’s nearly 200,000 acres along the spine of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

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Shenandoah National Park varies in width from less than one mile to about 13 miles; 75 scenic overlooks offer stunning views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west or the rolling piedmont to the east. While you are gazing out at the views, keep a close eye on the road too, as deer, black bear, wild turkey, and a host of other woodland animals call Shenandoah home and regularly cross Skyline Drive in their daily travels.

Roadside wildflowers put on a show all year long. In early spring, you can see trillium peeking through the grass. June’s display of azaleas is spectacular, and cardinal flower, black-eyed susans, and goldenrod keep the color coming right into fall.

As you travel along Skyline Drive you will notice mileposts on the west side (right side if you are traveling south) of the road to help you find your way through the park and locate areas of interest. The mileposts begin with 0.0 at Front Royal and continue to 105 at the southern end of the park.

The speed limit is 35 mph. It takes about three hours to travel the entire length of the park on a clear day. Clearance for Marys Rock Tunnel (just south of Thornton Gap entrance from Route 211) is 12’8”.
Skyline Drive is your gateway to Virginia adventure.

Skyline Drive is closed only in snow or ice, and at night during deer-hunting season. Inclement weather may necessitate closure of Skyline Drive at any time. Call the park’s recorded information line at (540) 999-3500 (select option 1, then option 1 again) for the most current Skyline Drive status.

You can see the full list of the most beautiful place in every state via Conde Nast Traveler here.

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PHOTO: Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, courtesy of the park website