Lydia Mountain Lodge & Log Cabins

I would visit Lydia Mountain Cabins again, but I would *NOT* recommend a stay in Cabin #5 — Love Nest. Other folks that have stayed at various cabins here commented the Love Nest is by far the least modernized with the least amenities. The futon has seen better days and looks very dingy. The spare blanket in the closet smelled like old socks. The two bathrobes were scratchy and uninviting. The pillows were flat. The bed was very uncomfortable and loud. There were at least 4+ floor tiles in the bathroom floor that were completely loose/​not grouted. And, last, but not least… There are mice living behind the fridge. We heard them moving around at night and found mouse droppings in the sink, on the table, and in the silverware drawer (which contains 16 spoons, 5 knives and 2 forks, btw). I wasn’t expecting a resort or B&B, but I also wasn’t expecting the floor tiles to move under/​stick to my feet.
Regarding the property management, the fire pit was overflowing with ashes (located in the driveway and no chairs or seating, btw, so bring your own). The ground around the (tiny) grill was covered in burned charcoal and ashes. The water hose was unraveled and laying out across the lawn. It didn’t appear anything was cleaned up from the previous renters. Not the best first impression. My boyfriend was also asked about his «preferred type of wine,» but no wine was left for us in our cabin so I’m not sure why they would even ask. We knew we had to drop our cabin trash off at the pavilion, but no map or directions to the pavilion were provided. More than a little bit frustrating. Other folks who stayed here really seemed to enjoy themselves and didn’t have similar complaints so I’m hoping these oversights are not the norm.

A friend and I decided to leave DC for an impromptu Saturday-​Sunday. I had seen Lydia Cabins online, so we headed here to see if we could rent. It worked out; the cabin is lovely (we rented #1), so clean!, bathroom is immaculate. And… there is a phenomenal hot tub on the deck… just perfect after a full day’s hiking. It was only about a 15 minute drive to get into Shenandoah National Park. Love this place (Tina was great) and will be back very soon!

We spent the weekend here at the beginning of March and very much enjoyed our stay. It was our first time at Lydia Mountain cabins and we would enjoy going back.
We stayed in ‘Mattie Moo’ which was the perfect size for the 2 of us. Our cabin had a wood burning fireplace which we made use off all weekend. (we specifically selected a cabin with a wood burning fireplace, there are cabins with gas fireplaces as well) they had firewood on the porch for us to use, no kindling though. The reservation manager had mentioned that we should bring our own fire starter or starter log which we did so we were all set.
The cabin has a small kitchen with electric stove, microwave, fridge, sink and dishwasher. For our short stay we didn’t really make use of the appliances. There was a small tv with DVD player and satellite tv which was fine for checking the news or the weather but we weren’t away for the weekend to watch tv so size of the tv didn’t matter.
Our cabin had a hot tub which we enjoyed during our stay. It was clean and it was up to temperature (hot) and stayed that way throughout our stay.
Being the early March the weather was pretty chilly at night but sunny and in the 50’s during the day. The heat in the cabin easily kept us warm. The cabin had air conditioning as well for use in the summer.
Our cabin was pretty well secluded from the others. We could barely see the other cabins through the trees when on the rear porch. A short walk down the private road brings you to a small play area for kids and some other outdoor activities (like zip-​line) that you can pay extra to participate in. Even after all of the snow the area had received over the winter the stone entrance road was well maintained and we arrived easily by car.
The location is perfect if you want to go and enjoy the many wineries in the area, which was our main focus for the weekend. Within an hour’s drive from the cabin you can visit tons of great Virginia Wineries.
Next time we are headed to that area we will definitely consider staying in one of the cabins.
As a side note: at the time of this review March 2014 there was no AT&T cellular service available at the cabin. Not even a little bit. Once we got down the entrance drive down to the main road cell signal retuned. The cabin website mentions that verizon service was better at the cabins. There was no landline phone in the cabin.

My boyfriend planned a surprise trip at Lydia Mountain for our anniversary and I was thrilled to get away from the hustle and bustle of my chaotic job and the city.
We stayed in Mountain Hideaway; it was absolutely beautiful. Our view was to die for. The kitchen was fully equipped, which for me was wonderful because I was looking forward to cooking all weekend. I was elated to see the hot tub, which was heated to a perfect temperature. As everyone else stated, the room was clean except for some questionable items we found under our bed. We had such a romantic weekend and for once in a long time, were really able to just enjoy each other without the distractions of daily life.
My boyfriend paid for the wine tour package and a taxi came to pick us up on Saturday morning promptly at 10 AM. They took us to our first winery, Horton Vineyards, and not only did the staff not know of any reservation for us, they were quite rude. This winery was not part of the tour so we were confused as to why we were taken there, but the driver, a fill-​in, said it was because so many people were displeased with Early Mountain. We left and went to Barboursville and thankfully, they were aware of our reservation and were so sweet. Gorgeous place! We were given a small cheese and meat plate and we sat outside and drank the bottle of wine we bought and ate while taking in the vineyards. We then requested to go to Early Mountain since it was supposed to be part of the tour. What a gorgeous place, as well, but they, too, were unaware of our reservations. The manager requested to speak to the driver about some prior drama with Lydia Mountain. Apparently, Lydia Mountain contracts these tours out (doesn’t do a great job of doing so) and the person that oversees the tours hadn’t been paying the wineries. We thought it odd when the driver was paying cash for us at each winery, but again he was a fill-​in and had never done these tours so we let it go. When we tried to call the main office at Lydia Mountain, which we had been doing since Friday when we were lost coming in, we got no response and no call back. We also were supposed to receive a bottle of wine in our cabin, which we never received. We had a great time because the two of us always try and make the best out of any situation. But Lydia Mountain dropped the ball on these tours. From the driver not knowing where the wineries were, to not knowing where he was supposed to take us, to the wineries unaware of any reservations, to us only tasting half (if not less than half) the amount of wines that were listed on Lydia Mountain’s wine tour description, to the drama at Early Mountain and then finally, our missing bottle of wine, the wine tour was poorly planned. As a previous review stated, we didn’t get a call from Tina, the manager, until the Monday after we left. She explained herself away, offered no discount and explained that they lost their liquor license, which is why we never got our bottle of wine and why they now contract the tours out to some girl, Lisa, who clearly is running a shady operation.
Had there been an emergency, like us not knowing how to light a proper fire and burning the whole cabin down, Lydia Mountain would have been no help because they were MIA all weekend, including when we were trying to find our way to the cabin at 6 PM on Friday.
I would return because of the location and cost, but I would certainly prepare myself to handle any emergencies solo and would not partake in a pre-​scheduled wine tour because that was a confusing nightmare. You definitely do not get what you pay for with the wine tours. I will definitely return to Barboursville and Early Mountain because they were so classy and pleasant, even the manager at Early Mountain who had been burned by Lydia Mountain’s poorly operated wine tours.
Clearly, I’m disappointed in Tina’s management skills. Perhaps she should participate in some training. As stated before, love the cabins and locations, so I would definitely return for that reason alone. But management and the «wine tours» could use some serious revamping.

We stayed in «Sweet Reunion» over Labor Day weekend.
People rave about how the cabins are clean and well equipped — Should a cabin not be clean? Doesn’t $ 200 a night entitle you to that? They do not get kudos for this. It was clean. Thanks.
Anyways. We had problems here. This place is tucked into the woods next to a creepy cabin/​house with no real view. Which is fine, they aren’t trying to hide that.
But.
1) the hot tub is super gangster. and it didn’t really work. It is also off the side of the house next to the woods. Not really where anyone wanted to hang out.
2) someone lets their dogs roam the property (a large mastiff and another) so — good luck with that. They were pretty aggressive — Barking and charging towards us.
3) The bedrooms were okay. BUT, the second room has a weird bunk bed that really is for kids, not adults. So, if you have 4 adults — you’ve been warned.
Why not contact the owners you ask!!! Well, we did. And they didn’t respond to us until the day after we left. Had a «meeting» and was unavailable. On Labor Day? Also noted that «those must be the neighbor’s dogs». That was it on that.
The owner issued us a 10% off coupon for our next stay — what a joke.
These places are all the same — if you don’t take out the garbage they’ll fine you big time… but if they don’t hold up their end of the deal? Doesn’t matter. Not their problem. They’ve got your money.
You might have a better experience at a different cabin… but not this one. Lucky for them reviews are based on the entire property — not by cabin.
I think that was my angriest review yet — what fun!

We stayed in the John Beadles House and let me start by saying, WOW. Absolutely gorgeous home and grounds. Standing in the historic house really takes you back in time over 200 years. We very much enjoyed the lake and several in our party spent most of their time fishing. I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say we’d recommend this place to anyone seeking a unique experience and a peaceful setting far away from the rat race. My only complaint and reason for rating 4 stars instead of 5, is that we had a disabled person and we had a heck of a time getting her and her wheelchair in and out of the house, and I felt like it prevented her from going in/​out as much as she would’ve like to. With as much work that has been done to the property, it would be easy to build a little ramp off of the back deck and make this place so much more accessible.

I can’t imagine anyone who would not enjoy a weekend at Lydia’s Mountain Cabins! We spent two nights at Romance Ridge. It is seriously in the middle of nowhere (no cellphone service — I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing haha), one way gravel roads up the mountain, and the most awesome views ever! The cabin is set up on a hill so you see the Shenandoah mountains in the distance and the forest/​creek down below. It is a one bedroom cabin, so the bed is in the same area as the living/​dining room. The only con about that is that all my clothes and stuff smelled like smoke from the fireplace by the end of the trip. But that’s not really a big deal. I felt like the size made of the place made everything feel even more cozy. The ceilings are super high and there are so many windows. You wake up every morning to sunshine. The kitchen is fully stocked with everything you’ll need: plates, pots, pans, cups, paper towels, salt/​pepper, etc. — the only thing they didn’t have was cooking oil. We made do with some of our leftover bacon grease from breakfast haha. The entire place was immaculate. I am deathly afraid of spiders and after reading some of the reviews I was so scared to go. I guess we went at a good time or else our cabin is one of the newer ones because I didn’t see a single spider anywhere. There were a few stink bugs and wasps outside, but that’s pretty standard given you are out in nature. The hot tub was amazing. I think we sat in it for over five hours on our second night. It doesn’t get as hot as other tubs I’ve been in, but it is out on the deck and you have a perfect view of all the scenery surrounding the cabin. When you’re in the tub at night, you can see all the stars and it is the most beautiful sight ever. I didn’t mind the fact that we had to throw all of our dirty towels and sheets in the bathtub, but it was a little bit of a hassle trying to find the dumpster to throw away all our trash (we got lost once or twice). But the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I am really looking forward to coming here again sometime very soon!

We loved our stay in cabin No. 6. Private, a little bit off the road. Cabin was very tidy and cozy. Bed comfortable, impressed with the number and variety of provided kitchen utensils, glassware, etc. Would return!

Just spent the weekend with my grandson and it was wonderful!!! We had a new cabin, Mountain View and the mountain view off back porch was beautiful! Very clean, stocked with everything we needed. Hot tub was really great treat to sit and look out on the mountains.
Go while it is still light out… hard to find in the dark… and no cell phone reception so we had to go back to the main road for cell coverage, they answered and gave us clear directions to cabin.
Would highly recommend this as a perfect vacation spot.

Stayed at The Cottage at Nature’s Edge Cabin 3^rd weekend of September, for the price of the accommodations, I was disappointed in the level of cleanliness.
Cons (things you REALLY need to know):
Upon arrival, I had to sweep the entire back porch because it was a complete mess! There were spiders and webs everywhere, acorns, twigs and tree branches everywhere. I had to sweep every chair before we could sit in any of them because they were infested with spiders.
The advertised hot tub was not hot, barely tepid, set at 91 degrees (but felt barely warm), and even though we turned it up on Saturday when we arrived at 3 pm… it never became warm enough to enjoy (we tried and froze our butts off)…even though we again took a dip on Monday morning before we left. BRRRR! It was very disappointing to not be able to use the hot tub during our entire stay. It was one of the main reasons we booked the cabin.
We could not enjoy the advertised Foosball table in the very small «game room» because the room was infested with spiders, webs, and was filthy. There were bugs and spider droppings everywhere. After spending almost a half hour trying to clean the room so we could play Foosball I gave up. I just didn’t feel as though I should be cleaning it (too much trouble) when I paid to be in a place that should have already been cleaned for our stay and enjoyment… especially as the Foosball game room was an advertised amenity pictured on the website as clean and ready to use.
We were surprised to find in the list of «Rules» left on the kitchen table (which required a signature) that we had to strip the beds of sheets and pillow cases and leave them in the bathtub before we left. We had to remove our trash, put it in the car and drive several miles (out of the way and very inconvenient) to the resort dumpster or we would be charged a fee on the credit card to which they charged our reservation/​stay. This wasn’t explained to us during the booking process nor was it disclosed to us in the reservation email. Seriously, we had to strip the beds… we paid just over $ 200 per night for the cabin rental and for the money we paid, I feel this is something the cleaning crew should do… not the paying guest.
My travel partner dropped something which rolled under a bed in the bedroom and was totally grossed out by finding a mens tube sock enveloped in an inch of dust under the bed. It looked as though a dust mop had not been run under the beds in each bedroom for quite some time.
In one of the bedrooms, the head of the bed lay up against the wall where the hot tub was directly on the other side. The hum of the hot tub could be heard and felt while laying in the bed. It was annoying.
During the reservation process I was told that the road to the cabin I was renting was steep and it was best if I had a front wheel drive car, but I wasn’t told the road was dirt and gravel. I wasn’t told the road in and out was a long dirt road. I rented a car for the trip, but had I known we were going to be driving up and down steep dirt and gravel mountain roads I would have rented a SUV.
We were unaware we weren’t able to build a fire in the fireplace before Sept. 30, but they were kind enough to allow us to do so after we called and asked if they would make an exception because we were there only 7 days before the 30^th. Bring firewood!
Pros:
If you like being off the beaten path, staying in a gorgeous mountain setting, being completely secluded… this is the place for you! The cabin was very homey, comfortable, and with the exception of the above mentioned, the living room, dining area, kitchen and bathroom were spotless. The cabin was decorated with all sorts of interesting «country inspired» decorations which gave the cabin a very rustic feel.
The cleaning crew left us with very few paper towels left on the roll and we ran out, couldn’t find any extra rolls, but we used provided kitchen towels and got by just fine. The cabin was stocked with everything you’ll need: plates, glasses (watch out for chips), cooking utensils, silverware, coffee maker, even salt and pepper.
There was a flat screen TV with DirecTV (no local channels), a comfy log style futon couch and comfy over sized log style chair to lounge on, a front and back porch with rocking chairs and lounge chairs, the provided towels and provided robes (nice touch) were very clean and soft, the hot water was HOT (be careful!), and the cabin is situated on 5 acres in a mountain setting that is absolutely breath taking! The tiny little vineyard in front of the cabin was beautiful! We explored and found cute little out buildings and «relics» from days gone by which really added to the ambiance of the property.
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay and it was very difficult to leave. I would have given this travel experience a much higher rating, but there were just a few things we couldn’t get beyond as I’ve expressed in the «cons» section of my review.

My BF and I stayed in the Romance Ridge cabin. It was perfect! The cabin was clean and comfortable and well furnished, the hot tub was amazing, and they provide everything you could possibly need — just bring food and charcoal if you want to use the outdoor grill. The location is perfect — secluded and quiet. Check in and out couldn’t be easier — they provide you with a door code in advance of your stay, no need to pick up a key or anything. The whole process, from booking until the actual weekend, was so easy. We really appreciated the fact that my dog was allowed to stay with us, for a nominal fee, which made it much easier to get away for a weekend. We are already talking about going back! And if you’re looking for things to do, check out nearby Early Mountain Vineyards during your stay.

3^rd time renting here. Experiences were each vastly different. As the other reviewer said, «All cabins are not equal.» We let them know ahead of time and were charged $ 100 for a pet fee for 2 dogs for 2 nights. When we returned home we were informed they charged $ 50 because the towels were dirty and they didn’t think they could get them clean. They said, «perhaps a pet stayed with you.» I see two problems with that:
1. If you don’t «think» you can get them clean, then you obviously didn’t try. Don’t charge me until AFTER you try.
2. As they said, «Perhaps a pet stayed with you.» Yes, two pets in fact, for which you have already charged $ 100.
In addition, one of the bedrooms smelled like urine so badly we could not use it. Kind of a problem with we were at capacity.
Another issue, there was no lock on the back door. This made us feel very uneasy in light of the fact that drug paraphenalia was found at the fire pit. I don’t know if meth heads hang out when the cabin is not occupied but it is a very uneasy feeling not being able to lock the back door in the middle of nowhere when you have evidence that this activity is going on at the premisis.
We also figured for the zip-​lining that the third time would be a charm and it would finally be open. NOT. I have never seen it in operation. Kids disappointed again.
Same happened last year for Lidda Bidda Mountain Music or whatever their «show» is called. Website said it was happening that weekend but it didn’t. Disappointement again.
We will not be back. Will definitely find another place to rent.

First off, not all cabins are created equal. We stayed at Granny B’s the oldest one. Your money would be better spent on a different cabin.

Booked a two-​day get-​a-​way for my wife and I after a very busy season in life… It was just what the doctor ordered!
It’s just a short drive from the DC Metro area, but It feels like a different world; no hustle & bussle!
The cabins were quaint and VERY clean & cozy. The hot tub and gas fire place were top-​notch.
We’ll definately be back.

My wife and I had our first weekend away w/​o kids in over a year. It was a perfect place to relax, re-​connect and enjoy the outdoors. Our 2 person cabin (the Mattie Moo), was well equipped, yet still gave the impression of a «rustic» cabin. We loved the hot tub on the back deck, the wood burning fireplace, and the general serenity of Lydia Mountain.
We took in a couple of nearby wineries as well as an afternoon in Charlotteville, all easily accessible. We will definitely be back again… maybe with the kids next time.

I booked a cabin here for my best friend’s bachelorette weekend (she found the location — I like to think I am not that narcissistic), and it far surpassed our expectations. I was so happy upon leaving that I can’t wait to head back for another weekend of just chilling out.
The main two things that contribute to Lydia Mountain’s awesomeness is that the cabins have fireplaces and outdoor hot tubs. The fireplace is on a timer, and while the traditionalist in me likes wood-​burning fireplaces, it really is easier (and nicer when you are being lazy on vacation) to just flip a switch for immediate ambiance and warmth. The hot tub ensures that you can still enjoy being outside in January; it is also big enough to fit at least nine people.
LM’s policy is a two-​night minimum on the weekend, but this works great with a big group. Some can come early, and some can leave early (if need be). You are also free to bring air mattresses to house up to ten people in one two story cabin (this was completely comfortable and never felt crowded, which is hard to believe).
Each cabin also has a fully equipped kitchen for cooking — all you have to bring is the food. There are also board and card games and even a TV if you really can’t bear the thought of completely escaping reality.
Be forewarned that there is no phone, and cell service is *very* spotty.
The cabins are conveniently located for visiting local wineries (as evidenced by the many Barboursville wine glasses in the kitchen cabinets), and if you aren’t interested in cooking, I hightly recommend the Lafayette Inn in nearby Stanardsville. They serve complimentary champagne with brunch, and the food is outstanding.
Finally, you are required to check in at a local country store, which adds to the charm but also to the confusion. The address is posted clearly on their site, but Mapquest gives screwball directions. Allow yourself some time before dark to find it (and the cabins, which are a couple of minutes up the road).