If you're not keen on exploring the Northern Shenandoah Valley on foot, have no fear -- you can enjoy the area's beauty, and history, on one of several scenic drives.

• Skyline Drive, which begins in Front Royal on U.S. 340, runs 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The drive is open to RVs and camping trailers, but they must be able to clear Marys Rock Tunnel, which is 12 feet 8 inches high. Traveling the length of the drive without stopping takes about three hours on a clear day, but there are four entrances spaced along the drive. Travelers can stop at any of 75 overlooks along the drive, or stay overnight or dine at Big Meadows Lodge or Skyland Resort.


• The Battle of Front Royal Driving Tour begins at the Front Royal Visitor Center at 414 E. Main St., open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Civil War sites on the tour, which takes about an hour to drive, are in chronological order. More information, including tour maps and CDs, are available at the visitor center. 635-5788 or (800) 338-2576. www.discoverfrontroyal.com or www.frontroyalbattle.us


• The Third Battle of Winchester Driving Tour includes 11 stops and begins at the Winchester-Frederick County Visitor Center at 1360 S. Pleasant Valley Road, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour takes about an 1 1/2 hours to drive, and more information, including maps, is available at the visitor center. 542-1326 or (877) 871-1326. www.visitwinchesterva.com


• The First Battle of Winchester and First Battle of Kernstown Driving Tour include nine stops and begins at the Winchester-Frederick County Visitor Center at 1360 S. Pleasant Valley Road, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour takes about 1 1/2 hours to drive, and more information, including maps, is available at the visitor center. 542-1326 or (877) 871-1326. www.visitwinchesterva.com


• The Follow the Apple Trail Driving Tour includes 47 stops and begins at the Winchester-Frederick County Visitor Center, at 1360 S. Pleasant Valley Road, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 45-mile tour takes several hours to drive, and includes stops related to local history and the apple industry. Audio tour guides are available at the visitor center, and cost $5 for a cassette tape and $8 for a CD. 542-1326 or (877) 871-1326. www.visitwinchesterva.com


• The Historical Points of Interest Driving Tour includes 11 stops in downtown Winchester and begins at the Winchester-Frederick County Visitor Center at 1360 S. Pleasant Valley Road, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information, including maps, is available at the visitor center. 542-1326 or (877) 871-1326. www.visitwinchesterva.com


• The Wilderness Road Driving Tour includes 12 stops and begins at the Winchester-Frederick County Visitor Center at 1360 S. Pleasant Valley Road, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour includes sites that existed when U.S. 11 was the Wilderness Road, and more information, including maps, is available at the visitor center. 542-1326 or (877) 871-1326. www.visitwinchesterva.com


• The Fort Valley and the Massanutten Motor Mountaineering Auto Tour winds through a portion of the Lee Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, exploring the history of the colonial, Civil War and Civilian Conservation Corps periods. Brochures and maps are available at the U.S. Forest Service Lee Ranger District office at 102 Koontz Road in Edinburg. 984-4101. www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/lee


• Maps of scenic drives of Massanutten Mountain and Great North Mountain, which are in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, are available for purchase at the U.S. Forest Service Lee Ranger District office at 102 Koontz Road in Edinburg. 984-4101. www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/lee/recreation/scenic_drives


• The African-American Heritage Self-Guided Driving Tour includes 26 stops in Winchester and Stephens City highlighting important contributions of blacks throughout history. Brochures are available at the Winchester-Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1400 S. Pleasant Valley Road in Winchester. 877-871-1326, 542-1326. www.visitwinchesterva.com


• The Mt. Jackson Civil War Driving Tour includes 10 stops and starts at the Old Soldiers Cemetery north of town and ends at Rude's Hill, north of New Market. The tour follows Stonewall Jackson's push through the valley in 1862. Brochures are available in the center lobby of the Mt. Jackson town hall.