Evening star., 1941-07-06
Shenandoah Park
Accommodations Bid
Travellers 10 Pause
Hotels, Cottages and
Camping Areas Placed
StroteeicoIly in Area
BY FRANCES S. DEAN.


With the advent of the summer
vacation season, no less than 10000
people roll along Skyline Drive in
Shenandoah National Park every
Sunday, according to figures kept
.. by National Park Service rangers
stationed at the entrances to Vir-
glnia's famous scenic parkway.
F. And it is surprising how many
of these motorists are unaware"
report the rangers, that Skyline
Drive is in Shenandoah National
! Park, Still more surprising is that
. large percentage of them-even
} Marylanders and Virginians-do
not know that all along Skyline
Drive are places designed especially
for their enjoyment, places where
they may stop for an hour, a week
or even a month, according to the
amount of time at their disposal"
Perhaps this lack of knowledge
is due to the fact that east of the
Mississippi River people are not as
!, familiar as those in the Western
i States with the manifold opportuni-
ties provided in national park
,areaS for stopovers and enjoyment.
In the East the national park is
newcomer compared to some of the
older ones in the West There are
only fve-Acadia, Me: Great
Smoky Mountains. on the border
line of North Carolina and Tennes-
see; Isle Royale, Michigan: Nam
mouth Cave, Kentcky, and Shenan-
doah, Virginia.
Stops Save Gasoline.
Perhaps, too, the motorist has
timed his vacation heretofore to
such nicely that every moment
not actually spent in driving is
counted lost. For these folks the
Governments suggestion that gaso-
line needful III the national defense
program may be conserved by re-
duc,ng mileage rolled up merely in
running around may me a bless
lrg IN disguise. They will be able
to combine frugality of gasoline
consumption with pleasure by fire.
quent stops along the way to be-
come acquainted with the details
o: the landscape-scenically, his
torically and recreationally.
In few places is there combined
: more of beauty, romance. pleasur-
able climate and outdoor recrea-
ton than in Shenandoah National
Park. Skyline Drive is open the
year round. Its approach is over
the first-class motor highways. In
les than three hours. at a gasoline
conservation speed, the Washing
tcnlan reaches the northern en-
trance to the drive, Front Royal.
Only four miles from the Front
Royal entrance is one of the five
hotel-cottage areas Shenandoah Ma
tlonal Park has provided for those
VINO do not care to make their over
night stops at camp grounds. The
others are Skyland dear to the
hearts of Virginians for half
century before it became a part of
the national park, and today still
further developed as a vacation
land; Big Meadows, where the
largest lodge is located, and Pano-
rama and Swift Run Gap, two en-
frances to the Drive. -+r.-
Week End Reservations Advised.
At each of these five areas there
are accommodations at reasonable
rates on the cottage-hotel plan.
Meals are served at the coffee shop.
Iofge or restaurant.
During the week there is little
danger Of finding these accommoda-
tlons full up" but week end
reservations should be made we'll in
advance. Cottages are rented on a
daily, weekly or monthly basis. The
majority of visitors remain only for
one or two nights Hot and cold
showers are accessible to the cot
tsges in all five areas. Many have
open fireplaces. Skyland, Big Mea-
ooWs and Dickey Ridge provide
either private or connecting showers
and private lavatories with every
room. Skyland has one cottage
fully equipped for housekeeping.
This is Hepburn, with its five bed
sroomS, three private baths, dining
room, electrically equipped kitchen,
big living room with open fireplace,
servants quarters in the basement
and wide porch commanding
Superb view of Page Valley.
. At Panorama accommodations are
limited to eight persons and at
Swift Run to a maximum of "a in
cottages, and ID to 20 in the two
room dormltory. The maximum
number that can be accommodated
at Big Meadows at present is 85-
FIN the lodge and the cottages. BY
'mid-July accommodations for "a
more will be available when new
r12-room cottage is finished. Sky
lands present maximum capacity
Is about 223 A remodeled building.
with space for 80, on the basis Of
two in room, will be completed
before August l.
Scenic Dining.
DiCkey Ridges 10 cottages provide
q accommodations for a maximum of
70 At its home like central unit.
\ Dickey Ridge tea house, food is
served either on the open-air ter
race, which is utilized also as
fdancing pavilion, or in the glassed-
In dining room with its view of val