Into the Not-so-Wild: Hike-in Cabins in the Shenandoah National Park

Photo: NPS

Making the leap from day-hiker to full-fledged backpacker can be a daunting step.   The thought of sleeping soundly protected from the elements only by the paper-thin walls of a nylon tent while creatures of the night wander through your campsite can be unnerving – and sometimes, the transition requires an enabler—a more comfortable halfway point, a compromise, like car camping, or a failing that, a very rustic cabin.           

Barely 75-miles from the nation's capital, the Shenandoah National Park (www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm) offers visitors just this compromise—a series of primitive, hike-in cabins scattered throughout the park providing a taste of the backcountry experience with the comfort of four solid walls.  And, a night in a primitive cabin also means less gear – ditch the tent in your pack and replace it with booze or more extravagant snacks.       

The Shenandoah’s cabins also offer thru-hikers on the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail (AT) the chance to forgo the tent for a night of seeming luxury (most the cabins are located within proximity of the 101-miles of the AT winding through the Shenandoah National Park).   The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (www.patc.net) maintains the cabins and manages public rentals (the price is more than fair, most cabins run $30-45 a night).  All of the cabins are primitive (thinking pit latrines…with great views), so be sure to bring your sleeping bag, cooking/eating utensils, food easily prepared over an open fire, and a full flask. 

Range View Cabin

Location: East of Elkwallow Wayside, North District; off Appalachian Trail

Sleeps: 8

Pets: Yes

Hike in Distance:  0.9 miles

Distance from Appalachian Trail: 0.1 mile

Price: Thursday through Saturday $45/night; Sunday through Thursday $30/night

Corbin Cabin

Location: Central District, Off Nicholson Hollow Trail/Corbin Cabin Cutoff Trail

Sleeps: 12

Pets: Yes

Hike in Distance: 1.4 miles

Distance from Appalachian Trail: 1.5 miles

Price: Thursday through Saturday $45/night; Sunday through Thursday $30/night

Jones Mountain Cabin

Location: Central District; Jones Mountain Trail

Sleeps: 10

Pets: Yes

Hike in Distance: 3.8 miles

Distance from AT: 5.9 miles

Price: Thursday through Saturday $45/night; Sunday through Thursday $30/night

Rock Spring

Location:  Central District, Cabin Spur Trail off the AT

Sleeps: 8

Pets: Yes

Hike in Distance: 0.8 miles

Distance from AT: 0.2 miles

Price: Thursday through Saturday $45/night; Sunday through Thursday $30/night

Doyle’s River

Location: South District, Doyle River Trail

Sleeps: 12                      

Pets: Yes

Hike in Distance: 0.4 miles

Distance from AT: 0.3 miles

Price: Thursday through Saturday $45/night; Sunday through Thursday $30/night