Skyland Resort … Shenandoah National Park

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Skyland Resort located at Milepost 42 on the Skyline Drive is an 1890s mountain resort that was incorporated into the National Park system in the 1930s providing a rustic getaway to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Shenandoah National Park. Located at the highest point of the park on Stony Man Mountain, it was developed by George Freeman Pollock as a summer retreat for city dwellers who wanted to enjoy the coolness of the mountains.

Rustic cabins are scattered throughout the grounds of the resort. A handful of the original structures from the earliest days are still there (see Why not Skyland? for the history of Skyland and how it became part of Shenandoah National Park).

Horseback riding, hiking, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities are part of a variety of offerings for guests as well as programs that offer mountain music, clogging, wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, twilight hikes, painting, basket weaving, story telling, and much more. See Calendar of Events.

On Saturday, September 20, the annual Apple Butter Celebration will again take place at Skyland. “The staff sets up the copper kettles and stokes up the fire for a day of apple boiling. Watch the process, give the kettle a stir, and try a delicious sample. Then take home some fresh-from-the-kettle jars of apple butter. The Chef will be creating a great menu of items such as Grilled Chicken Breast with an Apple Salsa, Apple Smoked Barbecue, Granny Apple Cole Slaw, Cinnamon Glazed Apples, Apple Cobbler, Caramel Apples and Hot & Cold Apple Cider. Wine tasting, pony rides, children’s crafts and live entertainment featured throughout the day.”

Lodge rooms overlook the Page Valley.

 

In September, Skyland Resort and nearby Big Meadows Lodge both celebrate apples, the fruit of fall, by not only using it in recipes but also offering an apple at check-in as their autumn greeting. They also can provide a map of nearby apple orchards for visiting.

Skyland’s terrace offers a peaceful location overlooking the Valley below … but why would anyone put two trash cans in the middle of this otherwise scenic area?

Skyland’s Pollock dining room, named after the founder, offers meals with views.

The rustic lounge room.

Adjoining the dining room, the terrace offers a fire pit and is a great place to relax with a cup of hot chocolate on cold days.

Stanley and Luray in the Page Valley with the Massanutten range in the background.

For more information about Skyland (originally known as Stony Man Mountain):
– Skyland, an historical account of life at Skyland in the early 1900s

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
Skyland Resort, Shenandoah National Park
August 2014