Mid-Atlantic Road Trips

Roll down your windows for a better view of the wildflowers and wildlife as you cruise along Skyline Drive in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. There’s a $15 fee to enter, but the 105-mile-long road offers 75 overlooks from point to point, and there are 200,000 acres to explore. Just don’t be in a hurry: the speed limit is 35 mph.

While you may have seen Civil War documentaries and read the history books, nothing can quite compare to standing on a grassy battlefield where Union and Confederate soldiers once clashed. Visit the sites of some of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War—including Gettysburg and Antietam—on this loop through the mid-Atlantic states.

New Jersey’s Historic Delaware River drive trip comprises the state- and nationally designated Delaware River Scenic Byway (SR 29). The Delaware River, which marks the border between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, parallels the route. This 32-mile trip covers a lot of historic Native American and early American history.

Delve into American history when you drive Maryland’s Journey Through Hallowed Ground Historic Byway (US 15), a part of the 180-mile historic region that starts in Pennsylvania and ends in Virginia. During the Maryland portion, you can appreciate scenic views, museums, and historic homes and businesses. Consider visiting in late spring or early fall for the best weather.

Forested hills and the occasional farm comprise most of the view on this stretch of I-80 through northwestern New Jersey from Stanhope to the Pennsylvania border. The route becomes especially scenic near the Delaware Water Gap, where the Delaware River cuts through the Kittatinny Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains.

Winding through the center of the Adirondack Park, SR 30 (the Adirondack Trail) lets you explore the mountains, foothills, forests and waterways that make the area so beautiful. You'll see a lot of wilderness, but you'll also pass some quaint towns and villages.

This 53-mile sojourn on SR 28 begins in the western portion of Adirondack Park, which covers some 6 million acres in upstate New York. The scenic byway features forest and lake vistas along with distant mountain peaks.

The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway (SR 97) matches the twists and curves of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, which forms a meandering boundary between New York and Pennsylvania. Distant mountains hover beyond the tree-lined byway, and dense wooded areas break open into gorgeous vistas of the river and surrounding valley.

Carved into the side of Storm King Mountain, SR 218 offers stunning views of the Hudson River Valley from a high vantage point. Watch your speed as you handle numerous curves along Storm King Scenic Highway - a short stone wall is all that separates the two-lane highway from a steep drop-off.

This portion of I-64, bordered by the historic towns of Staunton and Charlottesville, climbs the Blue Ridge Mountains adjacent to Shenandoah National Park before descending into the Shenandoah Valley. Silvery streams and impressive waterfalls rush through thick greenery, accented by white mountain laurel and fuchsia rhododendron. Campgrounds, riding stables and nature trails are dotted throughout the area.

The West Virginia Scenic Turnpike (I-77) showcases the forested ridges of the Appalachian Mountains, beginning near Ghent and ending at the entrance to the East River Mountain Tunnel at the Virginia state line.

Farms fan over the hillsides next to lush curtains of forest on US 6. A handful of streams and ponds add sparkle along the byway. Meanwhile, the scenic town of Milford provides a nice area to take it all in. As you pass the quaint homes, imagine what it is like to be surrounded by such natural beauty every day.