Skyland

Skyland is a historic resort campus along Skyline Drive around miles 41.7 and 42.5. It brings together cabins and rooms, Pollock Dining Room, a taproom, a gift shop, an amphitheater and guided horseback rides. It works well as a meal or overnight stop with a long story behind it. If a summit view is the main goal, the nearby Stony Man hike is a separate outing.

Pollock Dining Room serves regional farm-to-fork food with Shenandoah Valley views. The Mountain Taproom and grab-and-go food give you other options on site. The signature blackberry ice-cream pie combines blackberry ice cream and compote with meringue on a graham-cracker crust; it appears on the dessert menu when offered, so check availability during your visit.

Room views vary by unit, from valley outlooks and sunsets to trees or a parking area. Guest experiences also vary: some describe simple, comfortable rooms, while others report dated furnishings or maintenance issues. If the view or room condition matters to you, ask about the specific unit before booking.

George Freeman Pollock promoted Skyland in the late 1800s as an escape from urban life. Its earlier land ventures included unsuccessful copper mining. In 1889, Pollock and Stephen M. Allen took a $52,000 mortgage; they formed Stoneyman Park Preserve Lands, Inc. the next year and sold lots for resort development. More than 30 lots at the future resort had been sold by 1893.

Pollock ran the resort with theatrical touches. A bugle woke guests, called them to meals and entertainments, and announced the mail. He promoted the camp through the Stony Man Camp Bugle Call, with surviving issues from 1898 and 1901. Despite decades of work developing the resort, Pollock never legally owned its property.

When the National Park Service awarded the concession contract to Virginia Sky-Line Company in 1937, the company built new facilities and rehabilitated older ones. Twelve historic Skyland structures remain, including Massanutten Lodge, offering a glimpse of resort life around the turn of the 20th century. Cars and Skyline Drive later made day visits more common and shortened stays.

The Stony Man Trail starts at Skyline Drive mile 41.7, close to Skyland. Its summit looks over Shenandoah Valley toward Massanutten Mountain and beyond. It is a separate hike rather than an overlook inside the resort; dogs cannot continue from the Appalachian Trail onto the blue-blazed summit branch.