Shenandoah River State Park, VA - Base Camp

ABOUT THE PARK AND CABINS:  Raymond R. "Andy" Guest Jr. Shenandoah River State Park

DIRECTIONS:
GPS coordinates to cabins: 38.848503, -78.318693

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HIKES:  
Michaux State Forest, PA: Rocky Knob and Long Pine Run Reservoir - 7.5 miles
Shenandoah National Park, VA: Hogback Mountain - 7 miles
Shenandoah National Park, VA: Rose River - 4.2 miles
Shenandoah River State Park, VA:  Bluebell Loop - 4.3 miles
Shenandoah River State Park, VA:  Allen's Mountain to Wildcat Ledge - 7.5 miles
Shenandoah National Park, VA:  Corbin Cabin - 4.6 miles

BASE CAMP:
I may be an avid hiker and love being in the woods but when it comes to accommodations, this is my idea of camping!  I stayed in this exact same cabin, exactly 3 years ago, also the last week of October.  The cabins were only a few months old at the time.  Now 3 years later, they still look brand new.  As an added bonus for me, Virginia State Park cabins are pet-friendly so my best ever hiking partner, my dog Shawnee, is welcome there.

Our arrival in Front Royal, Virginia.

I sometimes get to the trails in Shenandoah National Park before the booths are open so since there was a very short line and it's right on the way to the park I stopped to buy my pass for the week.

$15 pass allows for unlimited access for 6 days.

Since it was still light out, we took a spin on Skyline Drive.

A view from Skyline Drive to the east.  The sun was setting in the west so it was blinding on that side.

We arrived at Shenandoah River State Park just in time to stop at Culler's Overlook to watch the sun set behind Massanutten Mountain.

And here is our cabin, cabin #6, with a trail head just to the right.  We could literally walk out the door and start hiking.

Up the steps the door on the left leads to ...

the living room and kitchen.

The bathroom with a shower on the right.

The master bedroom.

The second bedroom.

And our favorite spot, the deck.

It's a great place for relaxing after a day of hiking.

If you sit very quietly reading or napping, you just never know who might drop in ...

I want to add, also, that when this happened to the almost new car...

 

I stopped in at the Visitor Center to ask if I could borrow a phone book to see if there was a Subaru dealership in Front Royal.  (No cell service or Internet in the cabins.)  The nice lady behind the desk chuckled, meaning no Subaru dealership, but she had me on the phone with her mechanic in seconds and while I was talking to him she had written down the address, phone number, everything I needed to get there and I was on my way.   I have always found state park staff to be very friendly and helpful and this was no exception.  (The car was a quart low on oil and Suburu says this is normal - in a new car ?!?!?!?!)

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