Shenandoah has three lodging options (two main lodges, and a small stand of cabins) in which to shelter visitors overnight. The accommodations might not earn five stars from everyone, but many repeat visitors swear by the charm and comfort.
The following article was pulled together from various posts written by David and Kay Scott, authors of The Complete Guide To the National Park Lodges (which has since been updated in 2017), during their 2010 trek across the National Park System. It's been updated to reflect 2026 pricing and more information regarding lodging conditions by Traveler contributing photographer and writer Rebecca Latson
Currently, the lodging and dining operations at Shenandoah are managed by Delaware North Parks & Resorts at Shenandoah. ExplorUS, under the name Shenandoah Hospitality LLC, was recently awarded a contract to manage all concessions within the park starting January 1, 2027. This 15-year contract also addresses more than $10 million worth of deferred maintenance issues.
Skyland Resort
The Skyland Resort is open March 30-November 8, 2026, and offers 179 rooms. Located between mile markers 41.7 and 42.5 on Skyline Drive, Skyland sits at 3,680 feet (1,121.7 meters), the highest elevation on Shenandoah National Park's scenic drive.Skyland Resort is the largest of Shenandoah's lodges, and consists of motel-style units, large family cabins, and small historic cabins divided into two halves. Some of the buildings are on a bluff, while others are along a wooded hillside. Still others are on a plateau overlooking the Shenandoah Valley. The lodge offers five classes of rooms (Premium, Preferred, Traditional, Cabin Rooms, and Family Cabins), including ADA accessible rooms, with prices ranging from as well as cabins ranging in price from $162 to $503 (not including taxes and fees), depending upon room choice, day and month of desired reservation, and any specials offered.
Some rooms are pet-friendly and there is a $30 per pet, per night, non-refundable cleaning fee that is charged for pets in the room and no more than two pets are permitted.
Many of the rooms have balconies or patios that offer scenic views of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Skyland may well be the most diverse lodging facility in America’s national parks.
This area was initially developed in the mid-1800s to mine copper, but it wasn’t until years later that the mine owners considered developing Skyland as a resort. By the early 1900s, Skyland had bungalows, a dining hall, a recreation hall, and bathhouses.
Skyland’s registration building has a small lobby with a wall of windows offering excellent valley views. An adjacent building houses a gift shop, coffee kiosk, tap room, a small lounge area, and the dining room. These buildings, separated by a large patio, are at the top of a hill and some distance from many of the lodging units.
Big Meadows Lodge
Ten miles (16 kilometers) south of Skyland Resort is Big Meadows Lodge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Open May 4-November 29, 2026, Big Meadows has a few rooms in the main lodge, but most are located in cabins and units around the main lodge building. All of the rooms at Big Meadows are within easy walking distance of the main lodge that houses the registration desk, dining room, gift shop, and lobby.
Skyland offers better views of the Shenandoah Valley from most of its rooms (except for many cabin rooms). Big Meadows is surrounded by a hardwood forest, and while good views are available from several locations, most views from guest rooms are obscured by trees.
Big Meadows Lodge offers the same categories of rooms as Skyland Resort, ranging from rustic cabins and rooms in the main lodge to the more modern motel-style units. Some rooms are ADA accessible. Depending upon the month and day as well as room choice, rates run from $174-$540 per night (exclusive of taxes and fees). Some rooms are pet friendly and there is a $30 per pet, per night, non-refundable cleaning fee that is charged for pets in the room and no more than two pets are permitted.
Lewis Mountain Cabins
Those of you who have stayed at The Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park, Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park, Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park, or most other national park lodges would find Lewis Mountain Cabins quite unusual.
Open April 10-November 8, 2026, the entire complex consists of a registration/store plus nine rustic cabins, two of which are constructed as duplex units. There is also one hikers’ cabin. All but the hikers’ cabin have a private bathroom.
The 80-year-old cabins sit in a heavily forested area and as of 2026, don't appear to be as well maintained as they perhaps were at the time of this 2011 writing by David and Kay Scott. The cabin area is flanked on one side by a small Park Service campground and on the other side by a large picnic area. Although the cabins do not have kitchens, a covered picnic area with a grill is in back or beside each unit. Be certain to bring all your food and utensils, as the store has minimal groceries. Also be sure to store away in a covered box all food items and aromatic toiletries.
The facility offers both one- and two-bedroom units; the two-bedroom cabins can hold up to four adults. Nightly pricing ranges from $63-$256 (exclusive of taxes), depending upon cabin choice as well as day and month of stay. Some cabins are pet-friendly and there is a $30 per pet, per night, non-refundable cleaning fee that is charged for pets in the room and no more than two pets are permitted.
Featured in the National Parks Traveler
Hit And Miss With Shenandoah's Lodges
Part of a national park experience is to spend a night or two in a national park lodge, if there is one. Since Shenandoah National Park in Virginia offers three different lodging choices, I chose to stay a night or two in each of these overnight options during a recent early May trip to this park. I can now say from my own personal experience that Shenandoah in-park lodging - currently operated by concessionaire Delaware North - is hit and miss.
To read more, head over to this page.
- By Kurt Repanshek - May 18th, 2026 11:51am
