Often times, the national parks get the best territory and the states get leftovers. However, the…read moreShenandoah River State Park, down the mountain from well known Skyline Drive and its accompanying federal parkland, is by no means inferior. A rural drive leads to a visitor center, trails, an overlook, river access, and campgrounds. I had time for only a brief visit, but the views were majestic. It would be an excellent place to return for a hike. As with most of Virginia's state parks, there is a modest entrance fee, but I'm sure it's well worth it.

I travel and stay at a lot of parks during the course of the year, and I have only repeated a few…read moreof them. This location is incredible, rich with things to do, views to see, and adventures to have with enough time. The cabins are gorgeous, fair warning that there is no television, but honestly who cares?! I had great phone signal which almost never happens on these excursions, and I loved making a fire in my fireplace and sitting on the porch with coffee for sunrise, which I could see from Cabin 11. This cabin also was at the end and felt private, even though I could see my neighbors (who had set up Christmas lights! How fun!) There's also a wonderful hiking trail right by these cabins, 10 and 11, the Red Tail Ridge, that was semi-short (2.5 miles or so if desired to create a loop with Big Oak) and had views of the river and Shenandoah valley below!

Final update (for real): I did receive another return call from a manager this morning (after I…read morecalled) and I was able to answer it. We discussed the customer service aspect that this whole experience was lacking. The original issue was not the lack of a transparent policy, of which we had followed all rules, it was the automatic assumption that we had broken those rules based on limited evidence and without contacting the customer directly. Then the resulting customer service experience was a failure because instead of returning my phone call, I received another email that again was not informed by any discussion. I am glad the issue is resolved and hope that this situation will help promote a better experience for others in the future. Last update: Marriott did attempt to call me back yesterday but I was not available. I still have not spoken to a manager, nor explained anything from my perspective, but as a "gesture of goodwill" the charge was removed. Updated review: With no call from a manager and without them asking for additional details, I received another email that said that "our team is trained to distinguish between residual outdoor fire smells and odors associated with tobacco products inside the cabin" and the charges stand. I once again called to speak to a manager and one is not available. I am supposed to receive a call back "later." To be clear, this is not about the actual nominal charge, it is being charged when we do not smoke and are being accused of smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products inside the cabin when in fact it was fire smoke, without the benefit of asking for any details from the customer.

We visited during the week, so the campground was only about half full. Peaceful and quiet. The…read morecabin and campsite were very nice and comfortable. Our cabin had queen-size bunk beds, a kitchen with a refrigerator, two-burner stove, a sink, and plates, cups, and silverware for four. Pans, bowls, and a tea pot, too. It also had a small bathroom with a shower. Management texted us daily to check on us, including if we needed anything. They restocked the firewood daily, along with fire starters and indoor supplies like coffee, hot chocolate, and a S'mores kit. The campground had a nice hiking trail, which we enjoyed, too. We had a great time and would go back.

We stayed at one of the walk to campsites and could not have had a lovelier night. We went to watch…read morethe meteor shower and had a clear view from the field- it was spectacular. On top, we had a clean and HUGE campsite. I'd have loved more distance between sites but for a family campground, my two new campers were beyond happy!

I recently camped at Big Meadows Campground for a night to check out the fall foliage of…read moreShenandoah's skyline drive. I really enjoyed camping here. It was relaxing and it was close to the lodge, restaurants, and hikes. The campground was full, but it wasn't noisy. My campsite was in the B Loop, site 44. It's not a drive-in site. You need to walk about 50 meters, but the short trail to the campsite is well maintained and so was the campsite. It was very clean and flat for tent set-up. Each campsite has a table and a fire ring with a grill. There's also a locker to store food since the campground is in bear territory. Didn't see any bears, but some deer walked through my campsite. There are toilets walkable from the campsites. I don't like that the showers are elsewhere, next to the camp store. You will have to drive to the showers. It's $5 for 10 minutes. At the camp store, you can buy some fire starters, ice, wood, and a limited selection of snacks. Campsites are $30/night and get booked up months in advance. Each site fits one large tent and one medium tent and a max of two cars. There is no cell reception at the campsite. If you need cell service or wifi, you can go to the Big Meadows Lodge, which also has a bar and restaurant.

My boyfriend and I stayed at Postcard cabins in Basye,VA. We absolutely LOVED it!! The cabin had…read moreeverything from utensils to little s'more's kit. The only thing I needed was the food, drinks and vibes. We will be visiting again. It was quiet, very clean. Best first experience ever.

Long weekend with hubby and our fur baby. We stayed at the Freida cabin in Shenandoah North,…read moreVirginia. It is less than 2 hours away so not far away for a quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle. Our cabin is super cute, cozy and clean. The cabin had a kitchenette with 2 burner stove, mini fridge, paper towel, dishwashing soap, and cooking supplies. The food we brought fit in the fridge. Bathroom was well stocked with plenty of towels, body soap, shampoo & conditioner. We also got 3 bundles of firewood to do some grilling and s'mores. The location was super quiet that you can actually relax. Our favorite part of this trip is definitely the Stroopies. Not your traditional graham cracker s'mores but a chocolate gooey marshmallow sandwiched between 2 caramel filled Stroopaffle. Genius and yummy. We plan on coming back next time and stay at another cabin or other locations in the US. Another positives - the staff are so so friendly and very responsive. They checked up on us every day and throughout the day by text. Not intrusive at all - replenished the stroopies and some of the snacks. One very minor downside, there's not enough plugs especially in the sleeping area for two people who uses medical equipment. The staff did suggest to book an ADA approved cabin & I actually got to check it out. Definitely something to keep in mind for future bookings. Overall a great stay and highly recommend!!!

Great recreation area. Nice campgrounds, lots of shade, clean restrooms, small lake and a store,…read more We'll be back.

Our family came for a day visit so I can't vouch for the campsites. The lake itself, though, is…read moreincredibly gorgeous. I love the beach area where our kids happily played and dug streams and tunnels for hours. A little island that you can walk to or paddle out to on a float. Lots of space to spread out with a picnic or a bbq. Small park entrance fee (per vehicle) that is totally worth it.

Nice campground outside of Luray. RV sites are spacious and fairly level. There are trails, a…read moresmall playground, and it is on the Shenandoah River. It's a little pricey, especially when the weather is bad and you can't enjoy the river for fishing, tubing, etc. It's rather quiet, although quite full at the same time. The cabins appear to be extremely nice and a good price if a group of 8 were meeting up for a weekend. They had a full kitchen and bath and even a hot tub. The camp store had the essentials and the staff was friendly. Outlanders would definitely be a good home base for those wanting to explore the Valley during the day and return to the campground for a peaceful evening.

Beautiful well kept clean campground. We are 1st time RVers and I was worried about camping on…read moregravel but our campsite is very level and we didn't even need to use our leveling blocks. We drove in late at night in the dark but it was very easy to find our site after downloading the campground map from their website. Site #15

Very nice site. Staff were friendly. Sites are well maintained…read more I have a couple of recommendations. The dog park is nice, but it would be great if you had a trash can to throw away the poop at the site. Hope to be back again

Beautiful campground Laundry room was clean…read more It was a rainy weekend but the kids enjoyed playing on the playground when it wasn't raining It's a small playground but enough for our little ones The wifi worked fine There are some toys in the shop for kids to play with on rainy days The owner makes custom tumblers; I bought two, one of which she made custom for me. They are all beautiful! We would've stayed longer but the following weekend was fully booked so we are on the road again

Real nice campground, will be back in warmer weather. Nice town plenty to do in the area.read more

This is our 2nd time coming here and we love it. Most of the site is meant for campers. But there…read moreis a small area for tent camping. There are also some cabins on the water front. And a lodge that looks like a small motel. We come on Memorial Day weekend. The place always seems full. There were fireworks on Saturday night that were cool. Also music was playing under the pavilion. Everyone is super friendly. There is a nice sized lake surrounded by a beach. They have 2 socks to jump off in the middle. The store has some merchandise and a snack bar. Also there is a game room with some video games and 2 pool tables. Outside the store is mini golf. They recently built a pool which is real nice. Not sure if it is heated but it was warmer than the lake. Next to the pool is a playground.

Amazing campground in the national park! Our site was fairly level and plenty of room for our truck…read moreand camper. The restrooms were clean, and the camp hosts were super friendly! Every site had a bear proof box to store food and coolers in, and the site we were on was pretty private with dense vegetation on 3 sides. (Site B140) I loved the hike to the waterfall right from the campground, it was a great hike and the payoff was well worth the 4.5 mile journey. Even better was that we only saw a handful of other people on the hike!

Matthew's Arm is considered the better campground in this Park because it has:…read more More shade and tree cover Fewer crowds en masse But still has flush toilets Electrical outlets in the restroom Spigot and dish sink and spout for pups Your usual fire ring and picnic table There is cell signal near camp entrance Helpful maps and guides at welcome station Spotlessly clean Reservation and first come/ serve options

This was my family's second time staying at Crabtree Falls Campground. The owner, AJ, is super…read morefriendly, responsive, and helpful in reserving by phone and email. We stayed at campsites 30, 31, and 32, which are at one end of the campground and feel more secluded, farther away from the other campsites. This means your car is not right next to your site, but we didn't mind walking back and forth (slightly uphill, along a path); we recently bought a collapsible utility wagon that was super helpful in carrying big things to and from the site. The sites sit higher above the river, so it's a bit steep if you want to go down and enjoy the water, but you can do so carefully and it's well worth it. You will love sitting by your fire, listening to the rushing river and feeling like you're in the middle of nowhere, even though many luxuries like flush toilets, hot showers, and even a camp store are just steps away. No need to bring ice or firewood; the camp provides them at an added reasonable cost (but bring an axe to help break up the logs in case the wood is damp or fresh). Bring a grill-top for the firepit if you plan to cook. Keep in mind that the campsites are not very large; ask AJ when you book if your tent will fit. There's plenty to do in the area: Hike Crabtree Falls, taste beers at Devil's Backbone or Blue Mountain Breweries, enjoy ciders at Bold Rock, and next time we'll try the distilleries. Crabtree Falls is definitely my favorite campground in all of Virginia!

My husband & I have been staying here since our first anniversary in 2015. It's so quiet and the…read moreowners AJ (& Sue this time around) are so incredibly nice! We always stay in the cabins (which is dog friendly) and they are always clean and super cozy. We have only stayed during the fall since there is no A/C but I can tell you that during the cooler nights the base board heat keeps you very warm. The constant sound of the creek right outside your window is soothing and a great change from a busy life. There is absolutely NO cell service so be prepared for that. Some super sweet camp cats! We will be back for many many years to come! Thanks AJ and Family!!