A Family Cabin Trip near Shenandoah: Why We Built The Stag

The Turtle is for two, and The Sparrow mostly gets couples. When I started on The Stag, I wanted a cabin where a whole family could spend a weekend together without anyone feeling cramped or bored. That meant two bathrooms, real beds for six, a proper kitchen, and something for the kids to do when the grown-ups want to sit by the fire.

One of the first families to stay was William's. He wrote: "Our two teenagers loved the loft game space and I would go back just to have morning coffee by the firepit and enjoy the view of the valley." That's more or less the trip I had in mind.

How the beds work

The Stag sleeps six in two bedrooms:

• Main level: a king suite with its own 55-inch TV. Parents usually take this one, since it's away from the stairs and the loft.
• Upstairs: a bedroom with a king and a full. It works for three kids, or for grandparents in the king and a child in the full.
• Two bathrooms, both with tiled showers, so mornings don't turn into a queue.
• A full laundry room, which matters more than you'd think after a day on the trails.

The game loft

The loft is the part kids find first. There's a Polycade arcade cabinet, an air hockey table and a Board game console, a 24-inch touchscreen table that plays with real pieces. There's floor seating, a sofa and an egg chair, all under a 6 × 7 ft window onto the trees. Downstairs there's a PlayStation 5, a 75-inch TV, a karaoke machine and a record player, so a rainy afternoon is covered.

Meals and evenings

The kitchen has a large island, a range with an oven, a microwave and a coffee bar, and the dining space is open to the living room. That makes it easy to cook for six and still talk to everyone. There's a propane grill out on the deck.

The deck is 25 by 10 ft and fully covered, with a six-person hot tub and a propane fire table, so it works in rain as well as sun. Out front, six Adirondack chairs ring the fire pit. Bring your own firewood: the Walmart in Luray and the gas stations near the cabins sell it.

Quiet hours on the hill are 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM, which usually suits families fine.

What to do with kids around Luray

Everything below is within about fifteen minutes of the cabin. Our Explore page has the details and links.

• Luray Caverns, ten minutes away and open every day of the year. It stays about 54°F underground, so bring a layer. The one ticket also covers the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, Shenandoah Heritage Village and Toy Town Junction. When we last checked, children 6 to 12 were $18 and under-6s were free, but prices change, so check before you go.
• The Garden Maze and Rope Adventure Park, next to the caverns. It's ticketed separately and depends on the season and the weather, so confirm it's running before you plan a day around it.
• Stony Man in Shenandoah National Park, the easiest summit walk in the park and a good one with children: 1.6 miles round trip and about an hour. The park entrance is fifteen minutes away at Thornton Gap. It costs $30 per vehicle, card only, and the pass lasts seven days. Our guide to cabins near Shenandoah National Park has more.
• The Shenandoah River, ten minutes down the hill, for tubing or a gentle paddle in season. Book ahead with an outfitter and check the water levels.
• Downtown Luray for lunch and ice cream at Main Street Flavors on the way back.

Before you go

• The road: the last stretch is a gravel mountain road. We strongly recommend four-wheel or all-wheel drive, and we clear it when it snows.
• Dogs: up to two are welcome, for a $50 fee per stay.
• Check-in and stays: check-in is from 3:00 PM and check-out by 10:00 AM. Stays that start on a Friday or Saturday are two nights.
• Price: The Stag's booking page shows the nightly rate, the cleaning fee and tax for your dates before you pay.
• More than six? The Turtle and The Sparrow are on the same hillside, so the three cabins together sleep up to twelve. Our group stays page explains how that works.

If it's just two of you this time, The Stag works for that as well. Our post on romantic cabins in Luray compares all three.