Recently my husband Max, our lovely dog Lincoln, and myself visited Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. This was our first visit, and I’m hoping not our last. A few years ago we were traveling to Myrtle Beach, and saw signage for Skyline Drive which sparked our interest. It continued to linger in our minds, and after some research we finally booked a trip. If you’ve never heard of Shenandoah National Park or Skyline Drive, I hope to shed some light on both. Shenandoah National Park is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. It’s hard to imagine when you’re there as it seems so remote, but it’s just west of Washington, D.C. The Park stretches 105 miles from its northern entrance at Front Royal to its southern entrance near Waynesboro.

We decided to stay at Lewis Mountain Cabins, as they have pet-friendly options available, that way Lincoln could enjoy the trip as well. Booking was a breeze, as the representative was very nice and courteous.  You can book online here or by calling 877-847-1919. Since this was our first visit, I called to make our reservation. Within minutes of booking, I received an email confirmation outlining everything we would need for our trip.

Finally our departure day came. I have to admit I was so badly looking forward to a few days of relaxation. I didn’t really care what we did while we were there. My only requirements were to be schedule free, and not connected to an electronic device at all times.  I do suggest to plan your driving route beforehand as there are four entrance stations to Shenandoah National Park, but only one has a physical address. We entered via the Swift Run Gap entrance in Elkton, Virginia. In order to enter there is a fee. We chose the $30/per vehicle fee which gives you access to the park for 7 days. Skyline Drive is the main road that runs the span of Shenandoah's 105 miles. I highly suggest covering the entire route from the southernmost entrance to the northern most.  We were pleasantly surprised with the number of amenities available just off Skyline Drive, and by “off” I mean for the most part, simply pulling into a parking lot.  Directly off of or near Skyline Drive, are multiple campgrounds and lodging options, as well as gift shops, areas to purchase food or even sit down to eat, as well as a majority of the hiking trails.

The first thing I noticed as we entered, is the beautifully lush surroundings. Vibrant shades of green everywhere.  I can only imagine what this area looks like in the fall.  This continued to go thru my mind throughout our entire stay. It’s gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.  It was a short drive to our lodging, which was nice after a four hour drive. The signage along the way made it very easy to discover where you are along the way. We arrived at Lewis Mountain Cabins and checked in at the office. Again we were happily surprised that there was a store which carried the essentials and much more.  The pricing in the store is great too!  There were two women who were working at the office/store.  I apologize greatly for not remembering their names, but they were great.  Very accommodating and pleasant with every interaction.  Check-in was simple.  Our cabin (Cabin #8) was located just across the street from the office, we were able to pull up to the cabin to unload our items and then park in the parking lot a short distance away.  Below is a short video of the interior of our cabin upon arrival.

 After arriving, the rest of our first day was spent exploring the Lewis Mountain Cabins area which included the cabins, campsites, trails and picnic area.  Each person we interacted with were happy and polite.  By evening we relaxed by the fire pit and watched an eerie fog roll in until it was time to head off to bed.

Day two was great.  We woke up to a bright sunshiny day.  While the hubby made breakfast, Lincoln and I walked to explore a little more.  It was neat to see the different posts marking the position on the Appalachian Trail, and to see the hikers coming and going.  Personally it made me want to be in much better shape than I am presently and partake in activities like hiking.  Not just simple evening walks around my neighborhood, but true hiking.  I can only imagine the sense of accomplishment I would feel after hiking a great distance, getting to experience nature and take in the views.

After breakfast, we packed up and headed south on Skyline Drive, stopping at each overlook on the southbound side of the road until we reached the southernmost end of the drive.  We then turned and headed back towards our lodging, stopping at each overlook on the northbound side of the road on our way back.  The views are spectacular.  There’s something simplistic yet amazing about going at your own pace, stopping to take as much time as you’d like to enjoy beautiful surroundings. Once we got back to the cabin we were ready for lunch and more relaxation.  Unlike the evening before, the wind was less aggressive which allowed for a nice fire and cooking dinner over the fire pit.  We lounged around for the evening, taking walks here and there.  We were visited by some deer walking thru the woods just behind the cabin.  It was a great end to a great day.

Our final day came and again we were fortunate to wake up to perfect weather again.  After breakfast we packed up all our belongings and checked out.  Again the process was as simple as could be.  The staff again were great.  We headed home northbound on Skyline Drive.  Just like the day prior, we took our time and stopped at every single overlook.  We even pulled into the other camp grounds and some of the picnic areas to see what they were like.  I love that there is so much do to.  I give props to everyone that had a hand in planning the layout of this park.  There are  plenty of restrooms, picnic areas etc spaced all along the park so that you aren’t going any great distances without a place to stop.  Also if you are into biking there were TONS of cyclists, so this is probably a wonderful place to ride.  I was impressed at the number of people pedaling along. 

I suppose I have rambled on long enough about our stay, but I wanted to give a true review and share our experiences so you can decide if this place is for you.  In short we loved it! You should go visit too. For your own research purposes lots of information can be obtained here.  If you have any questions feel free to email me and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.