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Staying
on Skyline Drive ? You will find Here is all the information you need to help you choose the Skyline Drive Lodging that meets your requirements and your vacation budget while visiting Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. While you are here, let us invite you to visit our site through one of the links below...... |
Food & Lodging On Skyline Drive, from April until early November, you can avail yourself of a wide variety of food, lodging and camping options to fit any budget. Campgrounds, lodges and eateries are located all along the Drive. You are never more than an hour or so away from a hot meal, a lodge, a campground, or even a store. There are only three places on Skyline Drive where you can bed down for the night with a roof over your head. They are Skyland, the oldest, Big Meadows Lodge, and Lewis Mountain Cabins. All are within 20 miles of each other. Each has their own allure and personality. All are excellent. Skyland is the oldest resort, having been founded in 1895 (or 1894, or any number of dates according who you talk to) as a retreat for wealthy people from nearby Washington and Baltimore. Some cabins at the resort date back to 1909, such as Trout. In those days, a stay at Skyland was much rougher than it is now. But one thing hasn't changed: The wonderful, unforgettable experience you will discover when you stay there. 10 miles to the south is Big Meadows Lodge. Built in the 1930's, Big Meadows is the most popular facility on the Drive because, in addition to excellent camping, indoor lodging and dining facilities, as well as its central location, it is also home to the Richard E. Byrd Visitor Center. This area of the Drive is known and loved best for its huge open Meadow (hence the name) across the road from the Wayside and Visitor Center. Another seven miles down the road is Lewis Mountain Cabins. There is a nice campground here, and the Appalachian Trail passes right through it. But the big draw is a small group of lovely cabins built in the 1930's. They are one-room cabins with single and double beds, a closet, and bathroom. They are delightfully rustic, but clean and comfortable, and relatively inexpensive. There is a campstore here that also contains a small gift shop. There are no views, but if you like being deep in the woods, this place is for you. Skyland is the only lodging that has a few rooms where pets are allowed for an extra $25 fee. Additionally, there is no smoking allowed in any building in the park, including restaurants, the lounges, and your room. That's right. You can't even smoke in your own room... so the rules say. If you are a smoker, consider yourself lucky if you even find an ashtray on your porch. Bring your own just in case. And don't forget a few cones or sticks of incense or scented candles just in case you accidentally forget the no smoking rules. Whatever lodging you choose, you will be treated to old-fashioned furnishings and hospitality. The folks at Aramark, who are under contract by the Park Service to operate the concessions on Skyline Drive, will ensure that your stay is a pleasent and unforgettable one that will beckon you to return. |
View of Skyland Resort from Stony Man Mountain How Much Does It Cost? The cost of lodging on Skyline Drive varies throughout the year, and prices change with the seasons, just as is customary in many resort areas. In the summer, prices are moderate, and range from $65 a night for a cabin at Skyland, to $97-120 for a Lodge unit (comparable to a very nice motel room), all the way to $185 for a two-room suite with deluxe accommodations. In the Fall, those rates jump approximately 5-7% since competition for rooms is intense due to the large number of fall visitors. In fact, if you plan to visit and stay in the Fall, you should have your reservations completed by May or June, or even late the previous year. Some people make reservations for the Fall season a year in advance, and are rewarded with the best views. When making reservations, you will be required to pay at least one nights rate within a few weeks of your reservation date. If you are staying only one night, you will be expected to send a check or tender a credit card for that one nights rate in advance. They will take credit cards for payment of any charges or balances incurred during your stay, although the simplest way to charge gifts, food and drinks during your stay is to use your room card. At checkout, everything can be paid on one charge when your bill is settled. If a view is what you seek, always ask for a "Valley View" room. The view of the Valley below is breathtaking, especially at night when walking about or just sitting on your porch. Unfortunately, Cabins normally do not have full, unobstructed Valley views, hence the lower price. Most (but not all) lodge units, and all suites do have valley views, except at Big Meadows, where the number of rooms with a prized valley view are few. If you like views, your best bet is Skyland. You must specify a "Valley View" unit, or they will billet you in something that may only offer a view of shrubbery or a stand of trees (or another standing lodge unit). Unfortunately, the Pinnicles lodge's valley views are worsening year by year as trees continue to grow in the viewing range when sitting down. They still sell 'Pinnicles' as a valley-view, though. So, if your plans to visit Skyline Drive include comfortable lodging, please click the links below for more inside information, and links to the concessionaires web site to check current rates, and make online reservations. NEED MORE LODGING INFORMATION? Click the links below to find out more about each of the three lodging options available on Skyline Drive |
Man (and woman), cannot live by breathtaking scenery alone. Being in the mountains tends to ensure a hearty appetite, and the concessions on Skyline Drive offer a multitude of ways to satisfy it. Restaurant facilities range from quaint Waysides with family-priced, stick-to-your-ribs food, to four-star dining rooms that would rival that of any major hotel chain in terms of ambience, quality of the food, and price.
Waysides
The Waysides at Big Meadows, and Loft Mountain feature inside dining. Unfortunately, their board of fare is now limited to filling sandwiches, fried chicken, pizza, soups and salads, plus desserts. Loft Mountain and Elkwallow Waysides are more like a good snack bar at your local bowling alley.
The Waysides serve the same menu for Lunch and Dinner. And at Big Meadows, the breakfast offerings are awesome and filling, and most are under seven dollars. In addition to eat-in dining rooms at Loft Mountain and Big Meadows, all Waysides also offer take-out service. Many guests will order a box lunch, go outside, sit on the grass, and enjoy their meals (the burgers are first-rate) amongst the birds and deer that constantly stroll around the area (no doubt attracted by the wonderful aromas that emanate from the vents above the kitchen).
Elkwallow opens in mid-April, and closes Nov. 1. Big Meadows opens April 1 through mid-November. Loft Mountain opens mid-May, and continues until November 1. Waysides are open from 8AM to 8PM, seven days a week, including holidays.
Formal
Dining
Both Big Meadows and Skyland have rustic, but opulent dining
rooms that serve delectable culinary delights, and offer
spectacular views that beg to keep you seated. This is where you
languish over a meal. Both have the exact, same menus, and both
are equally as good. They serve dinner from 5-8:30
PM, and they do not take reservations. It's
first-come, first served. And despite its elegance, the dress
is informal for both dining rooms.
These two dining rooms also serve breakfast and lunch, but the
prices are rather steep for those meals. Opt instead for the
Waysides at Big Meadows or Loft Mountain unless you have money to
burn. And if money is not an issue, you'll be eating the best
breakfasts and lunches on the mountain. The menu is varied,
complete enough to satisfy any palette, and large enough to
please any apetite.
Dinner entree prices range from $10 - $25, and feature all kinds of meats, seafood, pastas, and even vegetarian dishes. Many items are ala Carte. Entrees, Salads, and Appetizers are all ordered seperately. These two dining rooms at Big Meadows and Skyland are a 'must' for one of your grand, evening meals. And you don't have to dress up.
Interestingly, some of the items on the dinner menu, such as Rainbow Trout and Fried Chicken (just to name a few) are exactly as, or very similar to, the same dishes served back in the days of Skyland founder, George Pollock --- just after the turn of the century! Unfortunately, the prices are not the same. Nonetheless, you will be able to enjoy the same delectable, home cooked food that Skyland guests have enjoyed for over 100 years. Menus change every year, but some original dishes from the early 1900's are always there for nostalgic and tasty dining.
Before
or after dinner, you may wish to sit and relax in the
"pubs" that are located at Big Meadows and Skyland.
They are open until 11 PM, and serve a full range of
beverages, including beers, liquor and moonshine. Unlike
their counterparts in the Valley, your children are welcome as
long as they are seated and well-behaved. Most
nights, there is live entertainment; usually a folk singer or
acoustic artists. And if you didn't get enough to eat at dinner,
there is a fairly nice bar-menu of sandwiches, munchies and
sweets available until closing.
Nightlife
At the two, major "pubs" on Skyline Drive, full liquor
service is available, as well as tasty concoctions made with real
"Moonshine," --- a legally produced corn
whiskey that is as clear as water. 'Shine' was popular at
Skyland, even during prohibition. Today, you can still enjoy
'Shine' at the pubs at Skyland and Big Meadows. Additionally,
they serve a limited menu of sandwiches, personal pizzas and
"munchies" until closing. At Big Meadows, the
food stops cooking around 9:30 PM. The menu at Skyland's
"pub" is more varied (and much better) than the one at
Big Meadows. So, if your tummy rumbles after the dining rooms are
closed, and you want a larger variety of food offerings, opt for
the 'Mountain Room' at Skyland. The cheeseburgers are first-rate
if you get there before 10:30 PM.
At these watering holes, the atmosphere is pleasant. It's relaxed and easy-going. Everyone is friendly. Both resorts offer live entertainment featuring local musicians performing acoustic, folk, and mountain music from nine until closing. Skyland's 'Mountain Room' usually offers more modern acoustic artists and repertoires.
Oh ... a word to the wise; Once the "pubs" close, there are no places on the drive to get food or snacks. So, if you're planning to stay the night --- even at the lodges ---- you may wish to stop at a convenience store before you arrive, or bring from home, a cooler packed with beverages and snacks 'just in case.' Most rooms do not have refridgerators or microwaves. Inquire about your particular ammenities when making reservations.
After
Midnight
Can't sleep? A whole different world awaits you on
Skyline Drive. Sit on your porch if you're staying at the
lodges and cabins. Relax on an air mattress or picnic
table if you're camping. Listen to the sounds,
uninterrupted by distant auto traffic and air conditioners. If
you listen closely, you can hear the unmistakable moan of the
lonely train whistle wafting up from the valley, many miles
away. You'll hear animals wandering about. You'll
most likely see a Deer or two as they forage and make their way
to your neck of the woods.
If you like to drive, and can resist the temptation to speed, take a night ride. Run with your high beams. Traffic is few and far between. You will, however, see alot of deer and other creatures, including bats that dive towards your car, and an occasional Owl who is startled by your sudden appearance. Plus, the views from the overlooks along the Drive are breathtaking at night. The lights of the small towns down in the valley below ----- shimmering as if they are stars in the heavens ----- are worth the trip alone. You don't need sunlight to enjoy the views from those overlooks.