Six of us, in 2 vehicles, are heading to Skyline Drive tomorrow morning for a run from Front Royal up to just past Elkwallow. I know there are pulloffs just as soon as you turn into the park before the gate. I'm looking for a fallback plan in case there is no parking. Where is the best alternate place to park while we're cycling up Skyline Drive?

TIA!

I've posted in the 47 (Touring) as well so don't shoot me!

I've never had problems finding a spot on the pullouts by the main welcome sign just as you turn onto Skyline Drive. I think there's another parking place at the end of Luray ave off of Criser, right down by the river. You could always park in the public parking lots on Hwy 55.

Have a good ride!

Probably is too late but i would take somebody extra non rider in those cars just to have somebody to give you guys water. Why? I wouldnt drink the water from the fountains in the skyline. I dont climb to start with so the two times i been there I needed somebody (wifey) to pass me fresh water kind'a often... or between stops that is around each 3 miles or so...

Enjoy the trip I want to go back there this year.

Thanks for the responses guys! I've only done Skyline early in the season so I did't know the parking situation. We're off soon and we'll take our chances. It'll be a little warm today but it's a short-ish ride, ~56 miles or so.

I parked in those pullouts before the gate hundreds of times. It may be crowded on a nice weekend but if you're early you won't have any trouble whatsoever. Keep in mind, each of you still have to pay the entrance fee unless you have a pass. If for whatever reason you absolutely cannot park outside the gate to do the dickey hill climb, you can park at the Dickey Ridge visitor center (Mile 4.5), but you lose that first excellent climb.
This is stupid. You can obtain water at Dickey Ridge Visitor center (mile 4.5 after the initial climb) Matthews Arm (just past the crest of Hogback at mile 21.5), at Elkwallow (mile 24). The steepest climb in the northern third of the Skyline Drive is northbound from Elkwallow to the top of Hogback.

Sincerely i wouldn't drink water from the skyline if you want to avoid to get sick. Last time i there like a year ago with my kids just for a drive the darn fountain water was just awefull. Again... i wouldn't do it.

it's metallic but it is 100% potable. It won't make you sick.

I'm planning a trip up there as well sometime soon. I, however, would like to stay a weekend and do some more riding there. Is anyone familiar with any affordable motels/hotels/bed and breakfast places that are near the park?

The water on Skyline is fine, at least at Dickey Ridge. I always top off my bottles there because the next water is at Elk Wallow and you can get pretty thirsty on a hot day on those climbs. There was, over a year ago, a warning about water at Panorama, but that has been addressed. I've filled bottles at both places (and Big Meadows and Skyland) with no issues many times.

Have a great ride; it's one of my favorites.

It may be too late to book, but you can stay at Skyland, which is right on Skyline Drive. I did that a couple of years ago and used it as a base to ride the whole route in sections. Very nice.

Thanks! Im not going this weekend or the next but would like to make it up there sometime late June maybe.

When I went last year we parked in a grocery store parking lot that was nearby, and we rode our bikes probably less than a mile to the park entrance. It was a perfect place to park and the short ride made for a nice little warmup. Wish I could remember what the grocery store was called...

*edit* It was the Gateway Plaza Shopping Center.

I stayed at a hotel in Front Royal and rode into the park the first day. The second day I drove to a parking lot near my turnaround for the day before, parked and rode from there.