national park (93 ft).
There’s plenty of rock
ledges where you can
enjoy the view and snap
a picture, but be warned
that the falls sometimes
dry out in the summer.
Elkwallow Wayside,
which includes a nice
picnic area and lookout,
is at MP 24, just past
Mathews Arm.The Drive » From Mathews
Arm, proceed south along
Skyline for about 10 miles, then
take the US 211 ramp westbound
for about 7 miles to reach Luray.6 Luray
Luray is a good spot
to grab some grub and
potentially rest your
head if you’re not into
camping. It’s also where
you’ll find the wonderfulLuray Caverns (%540-7
43-6551; http://www.luraycaverns.
com; Rte 211; adult/child
$21/10; h9am-7pm Jun-Aug,
to 6pm Sep-Nov, Apr & May, to
4pm Mon-Fri Dec-Mar), one
of the most extensive
cavern systems on the
East Coast.
Here you can take
a one-hour, roughly
1-mile guided tour of
these caves, opened to
the public more than
100 years ago. The rock
formations throughout
are quite stunning,
and Luray boasts what
is surely a one-of-a-
kind attraction – the
Stalacpipe Organ – in the
pit of its belly. This crazy
contraption has been
banging out melodies on
the rock formations for
decades. As the guide
says, the caves are 400million years old ‘if you
believe in geological
dating’ (if the subtext is
lost on you, understand
this is a conservative
part of the country
where creationism is
widely accepted, if hotly
debated). No matter what
you believe in, you’ll
be impressed by the
fantastic underground
expanses.54 p265
The Drive » Take US 211
east for 10 miles to get back
on Skyline Drive. Then proceed
10 miles south along Skyline to
get to Skyland. Along the way
you’ll drive over the highest
point of Skyline Drive (3680ft).
At MP 40.5, just before
reaching Skyland, you can
enjoy amazing views from the
parking overlook at Thorofare
Mountain (3595ft).TRIP HIGHLIGHTShenandoah Valley Colorful Virginian town in the valleyRAMONA SETTLE/ALAMY ©