In the forested uplands of northwestern Virginia, Shenandoah park overlooks the valley of the river for which it is named. Elevations range from 560 to over 4000 feet. Skyline Drive, a 105-mile parkway, traverses the ridges of the park. Following the dedication of Shenandoah National Park in 1936, a lodge and cabins for visitors were constructed at Big Meadows in a rustic, utilitarian style, yet which featured a dining room with elegant chestnut paneling. A second lodging area, Skyland, was later developed at the location of a small resort established in the 1880s.
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Entrance, Laurel lodgings, Skyland |
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Laurel lodgings |
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Balcony, Raven’s Nest lodgings, Skyland |
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Big Meadows Lodge. Among the original National Park lodges, the historic hostelry was constructed in 1939. |
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Dining Room, Big Meadows Lodge |
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Lodging, Big Meadows |
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Byrd’s Nest shelter for hikers on Appalachian Trail |
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“Copper kettle” trail marker at Skyland |
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Misty horseshoe curve in trail from Skyland dining room to lodgings in lower meadow |
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Mountain cabin at dusk |
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Rolling hills of Shenandoah. View from Hawksbill peak. Crescent Rock Overlook on Skyline Drive is visible in lower right. |
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Mountain office. Skyland Lodge is managed from this picture-windowed office overlooking the forested valley below. |
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Gray birch at Big Meadows. Fierce winter conditions at the mountaintop meadow limit the growth of even the hardiest trees. |
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Big Meadows |
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Byrd’s Nest cabin. Built in 1906, Byrd’s Nest is among the earliest remnants of the resort at Skyland established three decades before the national park. The cabin was most recently renovated in 2000. |
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Motel-style rooms, Birmingham lodgings, Skyland |
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Staff housing, Skyland |
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Dining Room, Skyland |
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Panoramic windows, Dining Room, Skyland |
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Skyland Lodge in late evening |
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Conference Hall, Skyland |
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Skyline Drive |
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Trailhead, Limberlost Trail |
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Plank trail over wetlands, Limberlost Trail |
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Bridge on White Oak Canyon Trail |
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Descent to White Oak Canyon |
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South River Valley |
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View of Skyland lodge complex from Stony Man overlook. |
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Big Meadows Lodge |
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Gift shop, Big Meadows Lodge. |
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Reception desk, Big Meadows Lodge. |
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Original lodgings, Big Meadows. |
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Older cabin at Big Meadows. A small number of such lodgings have not been restored. |
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Canyon lodgings in morning fog, Skyland |
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Visitor Center, Big Meadows |
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End of trail at Stony Man cliffs |
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Forest view from balcony, Raven’s Nest lodgings, Skyland. |
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Décor by Tap Room Lounge, Big Meadows Lodge |
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Television Room, Big Meadows Lodge. Frozen in time. |
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Mountain cemetery south of Big Meadows |
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Stalwart tree on windswept ledge, Thornton Gap |