Front Royal sits where the north fork of the Shenandoah River slides out of the valley, and it is the northern gate of Skyline Drive, the one hundred and five mile road that runs along the crest of the Blue Ridge through Shenandoah National Park. The town of fifteen thousand is a tidy place with a small-town main street, a bandstand and a long Civil War memory. The Confederate spy Belle Boyd, still a teenager, famously carried information to General Stonewall Jackson here in 1862, and the town changed hands several times during the war.
Skyline Drive itself was built in the 1930s, much of it by young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps, as a motor road that would let ordinary Americans see the mountains. It climbs from the valley to the ridge in a few kilometres, then follows the crest, with overlooks facing east over the Piedmont and west over the valley and the long line of the Alleghenies. The speed limit is low, thirty-five miles per hour, and strictly kept, which suits a road designed for views rather than speed. The curves are gentle and graceful, and the pavement is good, though a few sections can be damp and shaded, and wet leaves in autumn are slippery.
The wildlife is part of the show. Deer are common along the road, and black bears live in the forest, sometimes crossing the pavement at dusk. A visitor centre near the entrance has maps and information. October is the busiest month, as the forest turns red and orange, and weekends can be slow, so ride on a weekday if you can. Spring brings flowering dogwood and redbud, while summer mornings are often misty. Parts of the Drive close in winter or after storms.
Fuel is the key point. Front Royal has plenty of stations, and the Drive has only limited services, which are seasonal, so fill the tank before you go in. An entrance fee is charged at the gate. Local diners and a few cafes along the main street are good for breakfast, and the town makes a pleasant base for a night before or after the ride.