Swift Run Gap is a low notch in the Blue Ridge at 720 metres, and it matters because it is where a proper road crosses the range. US 33 climbs from the Shenandoah Valley at Elkton up to the gap, meets Skyline Drive at the top and continues down the eastern side toward Stanardsville and the Virginia Piedmont. For travellers, it is a break in the long ridge drive, an entrance and an exit, and the place where you decide whether to carry on south or drop into the lowlands for the night.
The ridge itself is the older story. The Blue Ridge here is part of the Appalachians, one of the oldest mountain chains on Earth, and has been worn low by hundreds of millions of years of weathering. Gaps like this one were natural routes for early traders and settlers, who followed game trails and Native paths across the ridge. The road that crosses it today was improved in the twentieth century, and on the eastern side it descends in a lively sequence of bends through forest, which makes it a favourite with riders who want something sportier than Skyline Drive.
Indeed, the bends on US 33 are the best reason to stop here. On the Elkton side the road switchbacks gently up the slope, with the valley dropping behind you, and the surface is generally good, though it can be damp and slick under the trees. Weekends bring heavy traffic and, on some bends, enforcement, so keep within the limits. Skyline Drive crosses here, the park gate is at the junction, and the road beyond is quieter and less demanding. Fog and drizzle are frequent on the ridge, and in winter ice can close the road.
Elkton, about eight kilometres west, has fuel, a couple of places to eat and a few motels, and Stanardsville to the east is smaller. For a bigger choice, Harrisonburg is further west, and Charlottesville lies to the south-east, a good base for exploring Jefferson's Monticello. The park charges an entrance fee for Skyline Drive, which you pay at the gate. Bring a light waterproof, since the ridge can be wetter than the valley floor.