Originally Posted by
datlas
I rode Skyline ages ago (1980's), my real concern is riding my bike FROM Charlottesville TO Skyline....details are sketchy but it looks like I will have to either ride on a very busy US Hwy or a gravel road, neither of which are appealing. I posted a query in "Southeast" regional forum but no bites yet.
I can help with this! You're right, riding TO Skyline/Blue Ridge Parkway from C-Ville can be sketch if you stay on US-250, but there are backroads that meander around the countryside that'll get you to one of the various roads that climb up to the ridge, the most interesting of which is probably the Wintergreen access road (State Route 664). It's very, very steep in parts and not my idea of a good time, though. I'd recommend just driving to Afton which is right where I-64 crosses over the ridge, you can park at a little abandoned hotel that sits about a half mile from where you enter Shenandoah National Park on Skyline Drive, lots of cyclists use that parking lot on weekends, can find it on google maps here-
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.0306.../data=!3m1!1e3
From there, you can either go north and enter the park on Skyline (have to pay an entrance fee even on a bike, bring a credit card in your pocket) or go south on the Parkway, either way is absolutely stunning.