SME is the kind of place that's so special, you want to keep it all to yourself, but can't help but…read moretell everyone you know about it! It is the coziest little getaway in Luray situated on an absolutely beautiful property. There are five cabins in total that are intended to be a couple's getaway, so the property is always very quiet and peaceful. It feels very connected to nature- we've seen deer very close to each of the structures when we've stayed. We've had the pleasure of staying in the Dragonfly, Bumblebee, and Ladybug cabins and have really enjoyed each one- they all have a similar feel but are built slightly differently. This time around, we were in the Bumblebee cabin, which is quite spacious and shares a structure with the Dragonfly cabin. There was a gas fireplace and a TV downstairs where we spent most of our time reading; there was also a couch upstairs in the hallway outside of the bedroom, and a cute balcony we probably would have spent time on if it was warmer! It is absolutely the kind of place where you can just stay in your cabin the entire time you're there, but it's also located pretty close to Sperryville and downtown Luray if you're looking to venture out. To fully take advantage of SME, I'd recommend bringing your own food or groceries to cook- there's not a whole lot close by (which is part of the charm!), but the kitchen is well-equipped with a microwave, oven, and stovetop. There's a pizza place that delivers right to the cabins, which is nice- honestly, the pizza isn't very good, but it's nice to have the option. There are also bottles of wine available for purchase in your cabin, which is nice to have available. You won't meet two nicer people than the owners of SME, Karen and Ralph. It is so clear how much they love SME and sharing their love of the property, which reflects their travels through Europe, with those who stay there. There will always be a delicious baked treat from Karen waiting in your cabin when you arrive, and if you're lucky, she or Ralph will show you around the property and tell you about the structures, all of which were built by Ralph and designed by them both. They are so friendly and kindhearted and make it such a special place to stay. As just one example- it snowed one of the nights we stayed, and Ralph cleared off our car without us even asking. SME feels so calm and peaceful- it's a true VA oasis. We're already planning our next trip back!

Shadow Mountain Escape is a hidden Gem, as is Karen Riddle. Every detail, from the moment we…read morearrived, until the moment we left, was absolutely perfect. There are certain people that find their calling in life, and believe me, Karen has found hers providing a beautiful one stop destination/ultimate private elopement venue along with handling every aspect of our wedding (flowers, wedding cake, vows, officiant, venue, and beautiful photos). We were blown away and are so happy we chose Shadow Mountain Escape, and Karen Riddle for our special day!! We will be back.

This is hands down our favorite place to escape to. We've been 4 times now, and have stayed at both…read morethe Walden and Solitude cabins. The cabins are PEFECT. Modern. Very clean. Peaceful and quiet. They have everything you need to feel right at home. We prefer to disconnect from our fast paced lives while we are there, but there is wifi if you need it. We love that we can bring our pup with us. The views are spectacular. We love having a campfire each night, and we have spent many hours in those hot tubs! The owner is fantastic. He's professional, helpful and very responsive.

A private, romantic getaway! Woodside Cabins is tucked away in the Shenandoah Valley and run by…read moreDerek who owns 3 cabins - so far. The Chalet, The Cabin and Sundance. All are nice and have river access. We stayed in the Sundance cabin - a one bedroom - right on the Shenandoah River. 9 acres. What a view! Hot tub on the COVERED deck overlooking the view of the valley. sitting in the tops pf the trees and you can watch the hawk hunt. fire pit down on the river with chairs for comfort. 2 big meadows where deer wander in the mornings. paths along the river. gas fireplace. great kitchen. wsher and dryer. fantastic bathroom and shower. new flat screen TV. wifi. brought our laptop and hdmi and watched movies at night and when it rained. clean clean clean. Very private. a fantastic get away and only 1 hour and 20 minutes from DC. Highly recommended. 15 minutes from Front Royal and 10 minutes from Luray. I nearly kept one star because the grill is fixed on the wrong side of the cabin - a gas grill on that deck really would have made it perfect. But, we really had a great time and were incredibly pleased. Bring your food and booze, grab a cocktail and get in that hot tub and watch the sunset.

I would recommend Lazy River Cabins to all my friends and family! We have stayed at Turtledove…read moreCabin and River View Ranch many times and I am looking forward to our next stay. The cabins are beautifully decorated and stocked with all essentials. Turtledove Cabin has a hottub on the back porch with a beautiful view of the night sky. Roberto and Teresa are the sweetest couple and are willing to help in any way to make their guests happy and comfortable.

From the owner: Cedar Breeze is a vacation rental located just outside of Luray, Virginia…read more It resides on a private, country setting with the Shenandoah River, mountain hiking trails, and many local attractions nearby. If you enjoy reconnecting with nature in the peaceful outdoors or gathering with your family and friends in a rustic setting, Cedar Breeze rental is the perfect, affordable, and get-away for you! Cedar Breeze was recently remodeled for the purpose of making it a vacation rental. It is in a perfect location for anyone who wants to enjoy what the Shenandoah Valley has to offer. We are in walking distance to the Shenandoah River and 1 mile from a public boat landing. The Shenandoah River Outfitters is only minutes away by car, as well as, to hiking trails in the George Washington National Forest. Bring your fishing poles, bicycles, and hiking shoes!

I've been there couple times in summer and fall and never been disappointed at all. The cabin is…read moreclean, organized and convenient with all you may think that a cabin could have. The master bedroom is a spacious size with private bathroom. The other two bedrooms are also very comfortable for kids or another couple to stay in each. The kitchen is very cute and functional. The view is fantastic at the top of the mountain which I believe they have the best view of the area. When I visited there, the weather is about 50F, it was so nice to spend time in the outdoor hot tub and look up at starry sky. Definitely going back for more fun stuff to do such as hiking, canoeing, tubing, etc.

From the owner: Point of View Mountain Lodge is a privately owned vacation home that is available for short-term…read morerentals. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains directly adjacent to Shenandoah National Park near Luray Virginia. Ideal for a romantic getaway, a family outing, or a group adventure, this beautifully restored alpine home accommodates up to ten adults. The large property is private and quiet, yet very accessible--and less than two hours from downtown Washington DC!

Excellent cabin!! We will be back!! We planned a last minute weekend to go tubing at the Shenandoah…read moreRiver Outfitters and looked for a cabin to stay. Deer Forest Lodge with Lion Crow Cabins was available. Even without any Yelp reviews we booked it because we had limited options and it was close to SRO. This is the nicest cabin we have ever stayed in!! It was clean and had literally almost everything you would need for an extended stay (except toiletries, which you should bring). We were able to grill, roast marshmallows, play cornhole, board games, and watch TV to relax after a long day on the river. Bernie, the site manager was amazing!! Based on the guest book, this particular cabin opened April of 2016. I debated whether to be the first to write a review or to keep this as our little secret, but I think that they deserve the business because it is clear that Lion Crow Cabins is working hard to make a stay in the Shenandoah a great experience! Thanks, Bernie!

From the owner: Luray, Virginia Cabin Rentals in the Heart of the Shenandoah Valley Along the Shenandoah River…read more Fully Equipped, Pet Friendly, Hot Tubs, Swimming, Canoeing, Kayaking, Tubing, Hiking, Caverns, Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Wineries and So Much More!

The cabins are beautiful but Misty, the host, is not! She is the most rude, unpleasant person I…read morehave ever come in contact with while trying to find a cabin for my daughters wedding. If you are not paying to stay on the property you are not allowed on the property which means if you are getting married in a near by location and want a photographer to come and take pictures while you are getting ready you are out of luck. So beware of "hateful" haven and go elsewhere!

This place has some pluses and some very serious negatives. Here are my thoughts:…read more Location / town: 3 stars The place is really in the middle of nowhere. The main attraction is the town of Luray which supposedly has these uber awesome caverns. Again - they were strictly OK (reviewed separately). The Luray green walk - again, strictly OK. This is a walkway by a small stream like river. The ducks made the picnic in the park worth the trek. But the butterfly garden had no little things. What really was fun was a visit to the water park at Massanutten - a 30 minutes drive away from the property (reviewed separately). Plot: 3 stars Cabin 2 is on a decent sized plot with not the best of views. It is probably Cabin 1 which gets the lion share of the view of the valley. Which again, I did not see anything spectacular from the vantage point. The place looks more beautiful on the website of the property thanks to the imagery. In person, it was a countryside cabin in the mountains. I am from New England and have been spoilt by the beauty of nature all the way from Massachusetts going up to Vermont / Maine. Coming back to the plot on which Cabin 2 is, it was disappointing to see the lawn was not mowed! So even though we did not want to sit on the wrap around deck trying to make something out of the so to say described beauty of the view all day long, we couldn't play ball or catch footballs in the lawn because it was not mowed. The fire pit and the logs around it were definitely the saving grace. But given the awful bug situation due to the woods around, the least the owners could have done was made provisions for an industrial bug eater! So caution for future visitors. Be prepared with lots of bug spray. Better still, take a bug eater machine if you plan on renting this place. Beds: 0 star (the biggest flaw!) I will keep this really short. WORST MATTRESSES I have ever experienced - period! Countless hotel stays throughout my life and I can take a tough pair of mattress. This stay takes the cake. Pick any of the bed rooms and not one bed had a comfy pad. Almost every member of our entourage complained about a sore back. Not a coincidence. The only saving grace - everything was clean and no health hazards like bed bugs and such. But what I don't understand is if you are getting so much money by renting these cabins, why would you not invest some of it in quality mattresses? In-house amenities: 4 stars Kitchen - fully stocked. All other amenities, as described on the website - to the T. No complains. Instructions were spot on for all the gadgets (TV, Wifi). Although - must know - WiFi strength is super low. We were lucky to stay connected with our cellular networks. Bathrooms were spacious. But the bedrooms are really small in comparison. Game Room: 2 stars The pool table is very very old - you can tell by touching the worn out carpet like surface of the table. The air hockey machine is virtually ineffective given how old it is. The Foosball table had a missing grip on one of the handles. The video game machine was definitely the saving grace - it worked and is not coin dependent. Still, good to have those options instead of having none. Hence the 2 stars. Hot Tub: 1 star For someone who personally owns and maintains a hot tub (for the past 7+ years now), the first sight of the water was enough for me to know the water had not been recycled in forever. This is definitely a note to the owners - for the number of house guests the property is potentially rented out to, they should empty and refill the tub every time new renters come in to avoid risking health issues. Chemicals and filtration systems only work to an extent when your hot tub is so old. House Rules: 3 stars Again, for the kind of price one has to pay to stay here, some of the things like post check out house cleaning (scrubbing the floors?) should be part of the deal. Agreed we made sure the house was very clean and followed every rule that was posted in the welcome note as well as on the fridge in the kitchen, but still, my point is how much cleaning is enough? We made sure everything was spanking clean like we would expect when checking in a hotel. In a nutshell, for the price one has to pay to stay here, one would expect a 5 star experience. Unfortunately that is not the case essentially because of the Poor Quality of the Mattresses and the fact the location is quite OK - disappointing at some levels. The UN-mowed lawn and the outdoor bugs' situation made things not so fun. Maybe it bodes well with those who are looking for a country getaway. Or if grilling and drinking is your thing. Still, the house itself needs serious updates. Overall - 2.5 stars and rounding off to 2. Cannot give it a 3.

The Huffman Cabin is a beautiful log cabin in the middle of nowhere in Luray, VA, right at the edge…read moreof Shenandoah. It's got two bedrooms, each with a full sized bed, a full kitchen, and living room with a fireplace and rocking chairs. A babbling brook and stream with a waterwheel are right outside and a deer filled forest boarders the cabin for 21 acres. We paid about $314 for two weekend nights, payable by cash or check only. Driving there at night, it can be hard to find. This really is a remote location, accessible by dirt road, in a very rural community. Since there were no Yelp or other online reviews whatsoever, just a shady looking website with a phone number, we thought maybe we were driving to our doom, but it turned out not to be the case. Once we finally arrived, it was lovely and exactly what I was looking for to escape the stress and insanity of DC. If you're looking to visit Shenandoah or Luray Caverns, there are closer, more centrally located cabins for the same price or less, but if you're just looking to just get away from it all, like REALLY get away from it all, this is a great location. It was the only location not filled up after calling dozens of other cabins in Luray, which were all booked due to it being National Park Week and Spring Break. The couple that runs the cabin are so nice and accommodating. We arrived to see a welcome letter, some local fresh eggs from a nearby farm, and some delicious local honey made by the granddaughter of couple. The kitchen is well stocked with spices and sugar, flour, etc. The furniture is hand made and there are doilies and linens knit and sewn by couple that own the cabin. There's no WiFi but we did get cell reception (we have Sprint), and there is a TV with cable and a surprisingly decent selection of movies on VHS. For locally roasted coffee, it's worth the 8 mile drive to Central Coffee Roasters, and for dinner, try Hawkbill Diner for a very Twin Peaks experience. I debated whether to write this review because I suspect that once the word is out about this place, we'll never get a reservation again, but the couple deserve your business. Best weekend break of 2014 for us!

What an awesome retreat from the hustle and bustle of every day life! This charming little cabin is…read morejust what was needed for some rest and relaxation. My friend made the reservations so I had no interaction with the owners of the cabin. But as soon as I walked in I could tell they are probably the nicest people. We were greeting with hand written message along with a jar of home grown honey from their granddaughters honey bees. I am one that searches for and reads the reviews for any and everything. Upon learning I would be spending the weekend here I did just that. After finding only 1 review prior to mine I was a bit nervous. But as soon as I walked in the front door all that went away. I can honestly say at the end of the weekend I did not want to leave! We were here in January and are looking forward to coming back in the spring. This home is a step back in time. The furnishing and amenities are outdated but that only added to the charm of this place. At first I thought, "whoa". But after a few minutes memories of my childhood started to flood in and I quickly appreciated what I was seeing. We will most definitely be back!

I have been coming to Mountain Whisper cabins since 2014. It is a fabulous opportunity to escape…read morethe hustle and bustle of city life & reconnect with nature. The owner, Andrea, is professional and keeps each of her cabins meticulously clean and comfortably furnished. All the cabins boast fireplaces as well as jacuzzis- so perfect for year-round escapes. In addition, the owner is a wealth of knowledge as she is a true native to the region and will recommend excellent local eateries and activities to do during your stay. I enjoy bringing my family down during the summer for 2-3 days. We always kayak at the family run Shenandoah River Outfitters and everyone makes us feel like we are a part of their family. There is nothing nicer than ending a perfect day on the water soaking in the jacuzzi or sitting around the campfire. Although we have never experienced any problems at any of the cabins (I've stayed in all three,) we feel confident the owner would reply to our concerns or requests promptly and graciously, as she has always welcomed us and our pets warmly. (Side note: Our escapes to Mountain Whisper Cabins have become such a ritual for us that we even have decided to use Dr. Matthews at the Luray Veterinary clinic, so our lovable family pets associate regular check ups and vaccines with an escape to the country!) Even if you only have 2 nights to get away, the short drive (1.5-2 hrs from DC depending on traffic,) is worth it! You will return completely refreshed and relaxed.

Me and a girlfriend came here for a weekend trip. It was easy to find and had everything we needed…read more The kitchen had supplies including a coffee maker and coffee, which was nice. The bedrooms were on separate sides to give us some nice privacy. I loved the peaceful closed in porch and we used the fire pit outside at night. The bathrooms were nice and clean and I was surprised there was a washer and dryer if we needed! I also liked that it was dog friendly for an extra $20/night fee. That was pricey in my opinion but I can understand, as some people's dogs aren't well behaved. The only small things that weren't perfect, is that there was some kind of beeping by the fireplace so when we sat at the dining room table to eat or work on our laptops, it was kinda annoying and we couldn't figure out what it was from or how to stop it. Next, there wasn't anywhere to walk or go for a run right from the cabin. But there are trails nearby you can drive to and the views on the drives were pretty to see. We had a great weekend, there's so much stuff to do and explore in the area. This cabin was big for 2 people so if you have a group this is a good size. All the bedrooms are on different sides so there is a lot of privacy for each person or couple.

Such a cool place…read more My family and I (two adults, two kids) stayed in the Gathering Tree. It featured three beds, a master bedroom with a private deck, a large main deck, a spiral staircase, a dining room table, mini fridge, hot plate, two futons, kitchen utensils, a small TV with DVD player and coffee making equipment. There are lots of places to lounge both inside and outside the tree. Outside the treehouse there is a fire pit which we used for s'mores and potatoes. There is a place to purchase firewood right on Ella's property. The property has a .75 mile trail through the woods with numerous animal discoveries along it. My son and I enjoyed trying to find them all and predict what would come next. The property also had many fairy gardens around it. There is also a fort building area giving families many options to do outside. Ella's is an awesome, upscale nature experience in the Deep Creek area. We will definitely return during our next visit to Deep Creek.

Wow!!!! This place is by far one of the most amazing places i have visited. Pictures do not do it…read morejustice. I love getting away and being surrounded by nature and this by far is the place to do just that. We stayed at the gathering tree... inside and outside the tree house exceeded our expectations. As soon as we stepped in we felt relaxed and excited. We explored some nearby state parks, enjoyed a fire outside, sat on the back deck to drink our morning coffee, went for walks, played games and enjoyed just being in a treehouse! Cannot say enough about it!