May 16, 2025
Day 1 - Front Royal to Mathews Arm Campground
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Overnight at the Super 8 in downtown Front Royal, VA, offered a great "get ready" basecamp. The hotel is at the southern end of Royal - the main road in Front Royal. It is conveniently located within walking distance to the historic section of town and only two miles from the North entrance to the Shenandoah National Park.
Day 1 - "Taking the high road" along the scenic Skyline Drive; a grunt of a route you could call it. Immediately after entering the park you start climbing into the trees. My first-day goal was 25 miles, slow and easy to Mathews Arm Campground.
Shortly after entering the park, I saw my first, and only, black bear of the trip. The bear cub fell from a tree and crossed the road into the tree line within 40 yards of me. Nothing happened fortunately, we both continued on our ways.
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As the profile above shows, the Skyline Drive is full of elevation. It also offers some safety concerns due to the lack of shoulders and the abundance of blind turns. Traffic on the two-lane road was minimal on this day. The weather was amazing and so were the views.
Mathews Arm Campground and Elkwallow Wayside - The Mathews Arm Campground is situated at the bottom of a long descent. It is a descent that you will remember as you climb back to Skyline Drive in the morning.
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Mathews Arm does not have showers or food, but there are restrooms and water. Food is available at the Elkwallow Wayside two miles south. Tip: If you are planning to ride your bike to the Wayside, beware that you'll be doing a lot of additional climbing. The Wayside is situated at the bottom of a significant descent which you will have to ascend to return to the campground.
The Elkwallow Wayside has great food choices like hamburgs and french fries. A bag of fries is huge. Note: The Wayside does not offer breakfast.
Today's ride: 25 miles (40 km)
Total: 25 miles (40 km)
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