Skyline Drive: North District

Front Royal to Thornton Gap: the first 31 miles of the Drive.

Warren, Rappahannock and Page counties

The North District runs from the Front Royal entrance (mile 0) to Thornton Gap (mile 31.5), where US 211 crosses between Sperryville and Luray. It has Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, Mathews Arm Campground, Elkwallow Wayside and the hikes to Overall Run Falls, the tallest waterfall in the park, and up Little Devils Stairs.

Several North District trailheads are on the park boundary and reached from roads below the ridge in Warren and Rappahannock counties. Our trailhead list says which.

Hikes

Moderately strenuous Dogs OK

Overall Run Falls

5.1 mi · 1,291 ft gain · 4 hr

Mathews Arm, mile 22.2

Strenuous Dogs OK

Little Devils Stairs Loop

7.4 mi · 1,897 ft gain · 8 hr 30 min

Keyser Run lot, mile 19.4

Skyline Drive mile 10.4

Moderate Dogs OK

Compton Peak

2.4 mi · 855 ft gain · 1 hr 45 min

Compton Gap lot, mile 10.4

Skyline Drive mile 9.2

Easiest Dogs OK

Lands Run Falls

1.3 mi · 325 ft gain · 1 hr 30 min

Lands Run lot, mile 9.2

Easiest

Fox Hollow Trail

1.2 mi · 310 ft gain · 45 min

Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, mile 4.6

Easiest Dogs OK

Traces Trail

1.7 mi · 333 ft gain · 1 hr 15 min

Mathews Arm, mile 22.2

Skyline Drive mile 24

Moderately strenuous Dogs OK

Knob Mountain to Jeremys Run

6 mi · 1,303 ft gain · 7 hr 30 min

Elkwallow Wayside, mile 24

Skyline Drive mile 22

Moderate Dogs OK

Sugarloaf Loop

5 mi · 1,120 ft gain · 7 hr

Piney River lot, mile 22

Places to stay

Drive time to the trailhead. Open a stay for drive times to every trailhead.

Unclaimed Dogs welcome

Range View Cabin (PATC)

Primitive hike-in cabin inside the park · Skyline Drive, mile 22 · sleeps 8

6min to the trailhead

2.1 mi by road

Unclaimed

Mathews Arm Campground

National park campground · Skyline Drive, mile 22.2

8min to the trailhead

2.7 mi by road

Places

Summit
Compton Peak
A forested summit on the Appalachian Trail with a western view and columnar jointing in the rock.