Big Meadows Lodge

22 minute wait for a couple of sides of fries is abnormal. Staff seem disinterested. This was a disappointment.

This place definitely isn’t a luxury hotel, but it’s not supposed to be, it’s on the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere! I am used to staying in nice hotels and resorts and of course this is not what I am used to, but it’s exactly what I expected (and all that anyone should expect) for staying on skyline drive. Our room was warm because there was no air conditioning or a fan, so we opened the windows and enjoyed a nice breeze and birds chirping. The shower was small but at least it was clean and the water was hot. There was no tv but people shouldn’t come here to sit and watch tv in their rooms anyway. There was an ant or two in the room, but it’s to be expected in the mountains to have a few bugs. The bed frame was a little wobbly, but the mattress itself was good. The breakfast was okay, definitely not with the $ 10-​$ 15 a person they charge. The wait staff and the front desk staff were very friendly and accommodating.
There are some things to complain about but all in all, it’s exactly what someone should expect. Not a dump or as bad a people say, but not a night in luxury either.

Did not stay overnight but did have a rather disappointing lunch here today. Constant Companion and I both got burgers and agreed the buns were subpar. The beef was dry and the burger was served without mayonnaise. I asked for a salad with mine but got fries instead. Waiter brought salad after I pointed out to him he had a mix-​up. Salad with blackberry dressing was highlight of meal. Later, when we were driving out of the park, we were followed a Sysco truck so I guess that explains the institutional nature of the food.
None of my dissatisfaction with the food would be worth writing a review about if it were not for the price gouge: $ 12 for a sad hamburger. Sigh.
Well, at least they do have free and easily accessible WiFi — unlike another national park lodge I could name.
Oh, and one other thing: The menu was written and designed by someone who could not be bothered with having a proofreader look it over: At the bottom on the reverse of the menu is an explanation that the letter V next to any item means that item is vegetarian. But the *only* item with a V on the menu is a omelet with vegetables. (Some vegetarians eat eggs, some do not, so it’s debatable whether an omelet is vegetarian.) Other items such as the bean burger that truly is vegetarian (maybe even vegan) has no V next to it.

I can’t speak for the accommodations themselves since my group only went to the lodge for lunch on October 24, 2015. Under no circumstance will I return here to eat. The dining staff was totally incompetent; the hostess was barely able to seat people and put people’s names on the list to get seated. After we had been waiting in line to put our names on the list one of the waitresses came out and told the hostess there were 5 or 6 open tables and that she should seat some people.
After we waited to be seated for nearly an hour the hostess told us we should be patient because our waiter was «slow but steady». Still not sure what meant… After another 10 minutes or so someone came by to take our orders and we didn’t see much of her after that. Despite the fact that the dining room didn’t have many people in it and there were 6 or 7 waiters. I’ve never had to get up and refill my own drink until I ate at this place.
This would all have been fine if the food had been any good. Sadly, it was well below enjoyable. I had the salmon burger, which was more a crumbly mess than a burger, and friend had the black bean burger which was as unappealing to taste as it was to look at.
In the end it took us around 3 hours to get lunch here, at the end of the lunch service when the dining room wasn’t very busy.
There are plenty of other places to go for a good view, and if you’re hungry bring your own food. Don’t waste your money /​time here.

This is not rustic, this is a mess. It’s a shame, since the location and bones of the building could be transformed into something great.
Barley competent staff, mediocre food, drippy faucets, mold and mice in the rooms over shadowed an amazing location. Visit big meadows, but stay someplace else.

Big Meadow lodge was an extreme disappointment for us. From lack of basic amenities and concern for their customers, misleading advertisement to filthy conditions and lack of any sense of basic security the lodge is part of a business that takes advantage of their monopoly in the park selling the scenery of the nature not their services, forcing people into paying with their iron clad no refund policy.
On July 2015 I reserved a room for four with Shenandoah NP. This is when the
first charge took place. The park is a 106 miles long and the lodge was located at mile 51 in the middle of the park on the only road passing through. When booking, in my desire to avoid
possible problems I booked the best/​priciest room they offered which was called the preferred
room. According to their description the room was part of the main lodge, more spacious then
the standard room, updated and offered some of the modern comforts such as air conditioner and TV. Being concerned with the quality of our vacation I agreed to pay the extra money for the ensured comfort.
Driving from Chicago, Shenandoah NP was part of our scheduled road trip in
which hotels were scheduled along the way. We arrived at our location in Shenandoah NP late in the evening of July 31, 2015 as planned. After a day of driving and hiking we were excited to check in our preferred room. Upon our arrival the front desk clerk handed me a key and told me I was checked in. I asked if I can see the room first. She told me to speak to the manager about it.
The manager said: «sure, but be advised that the amount charged is nonrefundable.» While her
statement discouraged us, implying that whatever it is we’ll have to take it, we preceded to see
the room hoping for a decent comfortable room.
When booking the room I was assured that the room was part of the main lodge.
This was important to me since I was traveling with my children and my mother. I needed a
sense of security for myself and for my family while in the middle of the park. It turned out that
the room was in a different building disconnected and fairly distant from the lodge. Aside from
being distant the building was old, dilapidated, with paint flaking off, cracked cement all around
in which overgrown weeds took hold. This was drastically different then the picture they
advertise online. It turned out that the picture they use to advertise the lodge is of the main
facilities which includes the shop that is several miles from the lodge. The front
door was old and barely stayed closed. A pungent smell of persistent mold and all together old
building greeted us as soon as we entered. The bathroom was very old, not updated as they
claimed and had mold grown in the shower area and under the sink. The windows were old and rusty and were impossible to open and close and had no lock. The bathroom was simply disgusting. There was mold and cracked tile everywhere, floor, sink, tub and toilet. There was no fan. When stepping into the tub to take a shower, the bottom of the tub which was made out of thin plastic moved under my feet continually producing a squishy noise and severe disorientation. It was like I had to surf in the tub while trying to shower. I had to keep my eyes opened the whole time to keep from becoming disoriented and falling. We soon discovered that there was ton of water trapped under the tub. This forced me to lean against the walls the whole time as I was trying to take a shower. Besides disgusting, it was very unstable and dangerous. Needless to say my mother and my kids never attempted to take a shower. About 11 at night the door that led to the patio popped opened after I locked it. there was talk among other occupants that they might have bed bugs! which scared the daylights out of me. All and all honorific experience stay away!

Shenandoah Valley and Skyline Drive are beautiful areas and are truly scenic treasures in the state of VA. We hiked a small part of the Appalachian Trail from Skyland to Big Meadows and that was an awesome experience. The lobby staff were friendly and helpful. That said the Big Meadows lodge leaves ALOT to be desired. We were there on Labor Day weekend. We stayed in rooms located in the Piedmont cottage. The two rooms that we had were dusty, moldy, and run down. The beds were hard and uncomfortable. I could feel and hear every spring! Our bathroom had a green powdery mold on the tops of the walls and a black slimy mold in the tub soap dish and along the tub caulk. The sink stopper was broken. Also the coffee pots were not clean. There is a difference between rustic and downright dirty. These rooms were the latter. There looked to be NO effort in keeping these rooms clean.
In my opinion the lodge knows that there are no other places to stay (other than their other properties which have almost the same level of care) within about a 45minute– 1 hour drive. This allows them to charge $ 150 for rooms that frankly should not be open for use. I will gladly come back to skyline drive but I will not stay at this property.

Your tax dollars are not at work here, they are hardly working. We’ve been coming to either Skyland or Big Meadows for 20 years and it’s off our list permanently now. Oh my goodness! You don’t have to be a 5 Star resort to sell clean rooms and this room was filthy. The bathroom was so gross and dirty, we even had to clean off some horrible bloody mucousy thing on the tile above the sink when we checked in. The walls, windows, ceiling, floor were filthy, even down to the black hair lodged in the corner of the bathroom. There was dust everywhere, fingerprints and filth on the main room large window so thick you could write on it. Oh, and let’s not forget the rusty thumbtack on the balcony sitting sharp side up (good thing we didn’t have our dog with us or step out barefoot!) The lodge restaurant food is OK but expensive. The staff was friendly. Trash trees have been allowed to grow in front of Rapidan building and are beginning to block what little view is left. Really showing its age and lack of maintenance.

We paid $ 170 for a room with all the amenities a city dweller would need that included the breakfast package. There is no wifi in the rooms (we knew that going in) and there was very little availability in the Great Room. Our room was completely updated with a lot of nice fixtures and the bathroom was beautiful. Everything was well lit, clean and we had a nice view. We didn’t, however, have heat. We hunkered down for one night and then decided to ask for a different room with a working heater.
Through some stroke of genius on their part, they managed to downgrade us to a disgusting, musty room that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in forever. It smelled like a moldy basement. The shower and bathroom was horrendous. Everything about it makes my skin crawl. We went back and told them the new room is unacceptable and it was not what we paid for. We told them that we could live without the heater and asked for our old room back. The fact that they thought that those two rooms were equal in value left me dumbfounded.
It gets worse. THEY GAVE AWAY OUR ORIGINAL ROOM!!! This made us livid. There was no way we were going to stay in that repulsive room and get tetanus or have an asthma attack from the mold and dust. We demanded a full refund for the remaining days and left. We cut our trip short and returned home. THEY RUINED OUR VACATION!
Don’t get me wrong, the park is absolutely beautiful. The ridiculousness of the lodge is beyond absurd though. Next time I think we’ll stay outside the park instead of getting ripped off. The lodge clearly doesn’t care about your happiness. They just want your money.

Look, this is a rustic lodge on a mountaintop in a national park; if you’re expecting the Ritz or a gourmet restaurant, you’re on the wrong track. We’ve stayed in the (very rustic but comfortable) cabins and in the main lodge and have never been disappointed. The food in the dining room is better than you’d expect in a national park; stick with the local specialties like the BBQ and you’ll be happy. Surprisingly good local wines. The view from the main lodge and the dining room is amazing. This is a favorite destination, but don’t come here expecting luxury.

Our cabin looked pretty dilapidated on the outside, and almost as bad on the inside. The wood was chipping and falling off the outside walls, and the cabin number plate was broken off. It looked abandoned for lack of a better word.
Our room was dusty, dingy and dirty. The carpet had clearly not been vacuumed and there were cobwebs EVERYWHERE.
Really no excuse for this level of sloppiness in a place that charges upwards of $ 160 a night.
To make matters worse, we had a mouse in our room that kept me up all night. I’d wake up to hear it rummaging through our stuff, and get up to chase it away. It would run off into the chimney, only to return a short while later… we repeated this routine all night long. So needless to say, I got zero rest.
I understand that it is a cabin and not a 5 star hotel, but for the amount of money they charge, I’d expect a minimum level of comfort. I honestly wish I’d brought my tent and camped out instead. I’ve had a much better nights rest sleeping on an air mattress, out in the open.
I don’t mind roughing it, I camp regularly and absolutely enjoy the experience. I chose a cabin this time to get a different experience and I have to say I feel pretty ripped off.
I will say that some members of the staff were pretty friendly and went above & beyond to be helpful, so kudos to them
I wouldn’t stay at Big Meadows Lodge again for free

This is a rustic lodge with few amenities, but it can be lovely if you have an open mind. We were lucky to get one of the newly renovated rooms with a wonderful view. It was clean, comfortable, and we had white tail deer 20 feet from our door. The beds and linens were surprisingly luxurious and of great quality. There were only 8 TV channels, but who watches tv in a National Park.
The food at the Scottswood Dining room was pretty good. Breakfast was the star with great pancakes and virginia ham. Our dinner choices were good as well, with the trout being the best of the four dinners we had there. Don’t order the kids mac n chz, it was pretty nasty. Our waiter, Bobby, was wonderful. Super friendly and warm and made our 3 year old feel very special.
Another nice thing about this lodge is that there are a number of very good hikes that leave right from the general area so you don’t need to drive anywhere if you don’t want to for hiking. Lewis Falls hike is just below the lodge and beautiful!!!

I’m hard pressed to say I’m a fan, but I can certainly say this lodge is a must visit. When you’re the only thing in these remote parts, a lodge like this seems like a Marriott! We wanted to stay here overnight, but it was just outside our price range. Perhaps we’ll try again during the off peak season.
The food at the Scottswood Dining Room was adequate and I do appreciate their focus on sustainable and organic foods, but once you use those words, you’ll almost never see the word satisfying or fulfilling (unless used in the negative) used in the same sentence. We ordered the Shenandoah Burger, Spinach Salad, Turkey Pot Pie, Bowl of Blue Crab Chowder, Kid’s Mac & Cheese, Vanilla Bread Pudding. The bread pudding was pretty darn good; the pot pie was good; the burger, the salad, and Mac & Cheese was just A-​Okay. The only way to make this food taste better is to hike your way to the lodge instead of driving it like we did and then I’m sure the food will be divine. It was sprinkling so we didn’t get the opportunity to eat outside.
The Great Room lives up to it’s name. When it isn’t crowded, there’s plenty of space to relax and take in the beauty of nature through the picturesque windows. Available is free wi-​fi for the technophiles and board-​game for the old-​fashioned folks.

I have mixed feelings about the Big Meadows Lodge. I love national parks, and really wanted to love this lodge but unfortunately it had it’s up’s and downs that left me at a middle of the road review. The lodge rooms are in long summer camp style buildings scattered throughout the forest, and some rooms are better than others.
The first room I stayed in was very small, and in pretty rough shape it was rustic which is a good thing… but was riding the line between rustic, and run down. Due to an issue I was moved by the staff to another room which was an upgrade.
This room was beautiful and overlooked the mountains, and had really comfortable beds and beautiful wood floors. This is the room you want to stay in!
Here is the low down:
The Nice rooms with overlook views are in the «Lodges» as follows:
Main Lodge
Rapidan
Doubletop
Not as nice but pet friendly, and ok for a night or two with a forest view:
Piedmont
Blackrock (Pets)
Hawksbill
Cresent Rock
Still a beautiful 1939 National Park Lodge that is situated right in the middle of wildlife, and beautiful views.

OK, what national park lodge does not have coffee in the great room for early morning risers? Having to wait until 7:30 AM for the restaurant to open is just wrong. For that reason alone, the concession contract should go to another company.
Tap room downstairs offers a decent retreat from the crowds. Couple of good beers on tap and a very tasty spicy chicken sandwich. Sweet potato fries were awful.
I stayed in a single room at the lodge — rustic but clean. Someone brought a yapping little dog with them.

Well… I’d agree that this lodge is ‘camping for city folk’. :) I’d stay here again, as I love the convenience of it being in Shenandoah Nat’l Park. I like that my room was only $ 125 a night.
Upon entrance to the main lodge area/​check in, I was immediately hit with olfactory nostalgia. The smell of my childhood at many a west coast lodge came wafting over me. This place was built in the late 1930s. and shows both charm and age. Our sleeping accommodations consisted of a lodge room with a double bed. There was also a fireplace, sadly it was closed off with wire mesh (for how long? who knows). The room was quite rustic, but cozy. The bathroom was suitable, and I was impressed by the ADA standards this place follows in regards to wheelchair accessibility. The bathroom had a fold down padded shower bench, handheld shower head, roll under sink, & raised toilet seat. Wow! I was impressed.
HOWEVER, the bed. O M G. This bed was the worst bed that I have ever slept on in my 27 years of existing. The bed was extremely hard. Our two nights there were filled with tossing and turning. in an attempt to find some morsel of comfort. Also– the room was freezing… and the thread bearing blankets did not aid in warming us. This is where the fireplace would have been nice.
FOOD: The lodge has a dining hall that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner. There is also a tavern downstairs (accessible by stairs or elevator) that serves bar food, hot totties, speciality coffees, and all hard alcohol. The food at the dining hall was fine. Nothing incredibly special, but I did enjoy the catfish plate & french onion soup. The service was kind at every meal. If you think that driving to Skyland Resort will get you different food– forget about it– it is the same menu. :)
Next time we will try a cabin. and we will be bringing a mattress topper.

Built in 1939 on the famous Skyline Drive in beautiful Shenandoah National Park, Big Meadows Lodge is near the grassy mountaintop deer haven with the same name. It’s a classic compound with a main building housing the main lobby, a family room (with a great sunset view and free WiFi), a restaurant (Spottswood Dining Room), a bar (New Market Taproom), and a craft shop. Located in and around the lodge are the rooms and cabins.
We upgraded to one of the «nicer» rooms with queen-​size beds after arrival and even at that it is way more rustic than most of us are used to. Consider it camping for city-​folk. The bathroom has plenty of signs of age including rust and deterioration. Don’t forget, we actually upgraded to this room, so, I’m a little leary of the other rooms/​cabins.
The best part about the lodge is the location. You are in the center of Shenandoah National Park. The park is an excellent spot for hiking and nature trails and Big Meadows Lodge puts you conveniently located for all of them. The Big Meadows Wayside (store) is nearby and offers food, drinks, and other items if you need them, too. The Taproom also had family-​friendly entertainment each night.
The other really great thing about the lodge was the service from the front desk team. In particular, Sydney was outstanding. No matter how busy things got she stayed consistent and helpful. Kudos.
Note that it costs $ 15/​vehicle to enter the National Park. If you are a senior, you can get a lifetime pass to all National Parks for just $ 10. Since we were traveling with a senior, we lucked into free entrance to Shenandoah. Also, the Lodge is only open from mid-​May through early November, so, plan accordingly.
Even though this hotel is lacking in many amenities and modern comforts, I’d choose Big Meadows Lodge on my next visit to Shenandoah National Park.

Great atmosphere, ok food. Order the more ‘local flavor’ choices. I had the burger lunch choice. Over-​cooked burger, under-​cooked fries. Bummer. Aramark didn’t pass the test on this item. They do well on some others though, so be choosy.