Notes from the host
Deer Forest Lodge
Deer Forest Lodge is your home for fun. Steps from Shenandoah Outfitters, it is a great base for all of your river adventures. It is also close to some of the area's best hikes in Shenandoah National Park and George Washington National Forest. Soak in the views of Skyline Drive and revel at the majesty of Luray Caverns. Tour wineries, breweries, and distilleries, then return to the easy comfort of the lodge to relax in the hot tub, enjoy a game of pool, and swap stories of the day's adventures around a roaring campfire.
Four Bedrooms | Game Room | Wraparound Deck | Free Wi-Fi
Fire Pit | Gas Grill | Hot Tub
Walking Distance to Shenandoah Outfitters | 2,016 Square Feet
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Deer Forest Lodge sleeps up to 10 guests in four fully private bedrooms with two sleeper sofas in common areas. Each bedroom has its own flat screen television with DISH Network and access to streaming apps through the DISH home screen.
Bedroom 1: King Bed | Bedroom 2: Queen Bed | Bedroom 3: Double Bed | Bedroom 4: Double Bed | Game Room: Queen Sleeper Sofa | Upstairs Foyer: Twin Sleeper Sofa
OUTDOOR: Spacious wraparound deck with outdoor dining tables and chairs as well as plush egg chair and wooden glider, private hot tub, propane grill, fire pit
INTERIOR: Cozy yet open living room with electric fireplace, DISH TV, Wi-Fi, dining table and chairs, large game room with electric fireplace, pool table, board games, and selection of DVDs, flat-screen TVs in each of bedrooms, jetted jacuzzi tub
KITCHEN: Fully equipped with all the basics; refrigerator, oven, gas stove, dishwasher, microwave, toaster, Keurig coffee maker that can make K-cups or traditional drip coffee
GENERAL: Linens and towels, central air conditioning and heat, washer/dryer, iron, pack n’ play, keyless entry
PARKING: Ample driveway space for up to several vehicles
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Things to do:
Shenandoah Outfitters is a great place to start in planning your river adventure. It is an easy walk from Deer Forest Lodge. Check out their website or call them to make a reservation if you choose to use them for your canoeing, kayaking, rafting, or tubing adventures on the river.
If you would rather use your own equipment and plan your own river adventure, you can make use of the following boat ramps:
- Bealer’s Ferry Boat launch (about a mile south on Page Valley Road)
- Foster’s boat launch (about a mile north on Page Valley Road)
- Seekford boat launch (4.5 miles north on Page Valley Road)
- Inskeep boat ramp (6.6 miles south on Page Valley Road)
The cabin also provides easy access to some of the area’s best hiking:
- Habron Gap Trail (intermediate/two miles one way), with its trailhead near Foster’s boat ramp: Enjoy stunning views up and down the South Fork of the Shenandoah River until you crest on the Massanutten Trail
- Indian Grave Trail (intermediate/2.6 miles one way): Just beyond the Seekford boat ramp is the trailhead for the Indian Grave Trail, which also summits at the Massanutten Trail.
- Kennedy Peak Trail (intermediate/9.5 mile loop): Don’t give up before you reach the overlook!
You also won’t want to miss the great hiking along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, including the Stony Man, Little Stony Man, Hawksbill, and Old Rag hikes.
Of course, no trip to Luray would be complete without a visit to the iconic Luray Caverns. The caverns are a national treasure and are the most popular caverns in the eastern United States.
Some good restaurants in and around Luray include:
- The Speakeasy Pub
- Broad Porch Coffee
- Watch and Warrant
- The Valley Cork
- Triple Crown BBQ
The Blue Ridge Whisky and Wine Loop goes through Luray. Some locations along the trail that are an easy drive from the cabin include:
- River Hill Distillery (15 minutes)
- Hawksbill Brewing Company (17 minutes)
- Faithbrooke Barn and Vineyards (20 minutes)
- Castle Vineyards (20 minutes)
- Wisteria Farm and Vineyard (25 minutes)
Other area attractions that are worth a visit include:
- Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, with water slides, swimming pools, splash pad, mini golf, ziplines, and more (20 minutes)
- Bear Mountain Adventures, with awesome ziplines and a climbing wall (20 minutes)
- Fort Valley Ranch and Trail Rides (23 minutes)
- Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive (35 minutes)
Guests will have access to the entire cabin and property.
The cabin has keyless, contact-free entry. There is no need to stop and pick up a key. When you arrive in the area, you can go straight to the cabin and unwind.
I will be available at all times while guests are in the cabin, although I try to keep regular business hours as much as possible for the sake of my family. If something needs attention, I will do my best to get it fixed as quickly as possible!
The neighborhood is mostly comprised of vacation cabins full of fellow river adventurers, but there are some full-time residences there as well.
The cabin is on a regular, monthly pest control schedule, but sometimes unwanted bugs may venture inside. This area is home to stink bugs, Asian beetles, wood roaches, gnats, and mosquitos, which may view open windows and doors as an invitation. I recommend keeping windows and doors closed when not in use.
Page Valley Road is a small, meandering backcountry lane that snakes its way along the Shenandoah River, passing campgrounds and cabins galore. A few miles past the cabin, the pavement ends and you will be driving on gravel. Forest Road itself is a dirt road that can be a bumpy drive. I recommend a 4x4 if you are visiting in Winter.
The cabin is in a remote area and there is no broadband internet. We provide Wi-Fi through cellular internet which the best option available, but is not what you would expect to get in a city. Most locals use AT&T or T-Mobile. Verizon is pretty weak.
The cabin is on a regular, monthly pest control schedule, but sometimes unwanted bugs may venture inside. This area is home to stink bugs, Asian beetles, wood roaches, gnats, and mosquitos, which may view open windows and doors as an invitation. I recommend keeping windows and doors closed when not in use.
Check in is at 4:00 pm and check out is at 10:00. These times are fixed. The cleaners keep a very tight schedule and make their plans around this six hour window. Out of respect to them, I cannot make exceptions to these times.
Please note that as a small business, I am not able to grant last-minute refunds, so I highly recommend protecting your investment with travel insurance.
So why book this property?
Location. Very close to the Shenandoah River for your river adventures. Great hiking a few minutes away. Good base for exploring the Shenandoah Valley, Shenandoah National Park, and the Luray Caverns.
Layout. High ceilings. Four fully enclosed bedrooms with DISH network for guest privacy. Wraparound deck with lots of outdoor seating. Great flow between downstairs game room to hot tub to fire pit for plenty of stay-at-home entertainment options.
Love. My family loves this place. We have put some of our heart and soul into it, we love sharing it, and we promise to do our best to make your stay there special.
Unique benefits:
When you stay with us, you will be supporting a woman-owned, veteran-owned, minority-owned small business.
We are proud of our commitment to always pay cleaners and other workers a living wage.
We'd love to invite you to make use of the instant book feature. If you aren't ready to book yet, you can always bookmark this cabin by clicking the heart symbol in the upper right corner. Even if you don't end up staying with us, by 'hearting' the cabin you still help us out :)
-- Feel free to reach out with any questions! If there is anything I can do to earn your business, please let me know! --
No illegal drugs. No recreational discharge of firearms. No smoking or vaping inside. Do not throw trash off the deck! Put rubbish in its proper place.
