Big Meadows Lodge- Shenandoah National Park

National park lodges aren’t always luxurious, but they’re always in great locations. Built in a variety of architectural styles based on geography, no two are the same, making them as unique as the parks themselves. Constructed of native materials by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939, and situated to provide sweeping views of the valley below, Big Meadows Lodge is an absolute classic.

Located just off Shenandoah National Park’s famed Skyline Drive, Big Meadows Lodge is named for the nearby meadow of the same name, where on July 3, 1936, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated the park. Just a few years later, CCC crews completed several rustic cabins and a lodge to accommodate visitors to the new park.

Built of stone cut from nearby Massanutten Mountain, with interior paneling of now extinct native chestnut, the Big Meadows Lodge was a rustic retreat with million dollar views. Boasting 29 guest rooms and a surprisingly elegant dining room, it offered the opportunity for tourists to enjoy the great outdoors, just as President Hoover had at his nearby fishing camp, Rapidan.

Over the next several decades, several motel style blocks were added to the woods surrounding the lodge, due to increasing visitation numbers. Built of cinder block and sided in wood, they offered utilitarian accommodations for park visitors. Although some of these rooms have recently been updated, they remain rustic. Even so, their location is spectacular, they have wood burning fireplaces, and the access to trails is unbeatable.

With a dramatic overlook just steps away, several waterfalls within a few miles, and a taproom, Big Meadows is the perfect base for a weekend wilderness adventure. If you can, absolutely go with the main lodge, although those rooms seem almost impossible to land. That said, even if you have to book a traditional room, you won’t regret it.