Shadow Mountain Escape

This was a truly memorable trip! Located about 1 mile from US-​211, Shadow Mountain Escape is an oasis from the hustle and bustle of everyday living. My BF and I traveled here for our 2 year anniversary and stayed 2 nights in the Bumblebee Cabin located in the rear of the property. The cabin is a shared building with another suite. Our 2 story cabin/​suite, decorated with beautiful German adornments and other assorted artwork, was absolutely perfect. There is local wine available for purchase and complimentary cookies (lemon and white chocolate chip) upon arrival. Additionally, the Italian and German-​inspired La Cantina, located in the basement of the cabin, was the perfect area for sharing a bottle of wine while listening to Dean Martin and playing darts. The second story deck was perfect for stargazing (every single star in the sky was visible). A campfire with complimentary marshmallows on Saturday night was an extra unexpected touch. Karen was the most gracious hostess!

This was truly an escape. The Shadow Mountain Escape is nestled in Jewel Hollow, close to US-​211 which gives you quick access to Luray for restaurants and the breathtaking Skyline Dr.
Karen greeted us with a kind smile and friendly welcome. She showed us to our cabin, Bumblebee, which was absolutely beautiful. Her husband Ralph designed the cabin and it is decorated with wonderful art and little treasures they collected from around the world. After telling us about the lake, nature walk and a few other places and things to explore during our stay, Karen left us to enjoy fresh flowers she picked for our dining table along with the amazing pumpkin crumble cake and other goodies she made for us. The bed was firm and comfortable. In the bedroom there is a cute little breakfast nook. The deck view was beautiful. It is so peaceful and quiet. Everything was clean. The only complaint I have about the cabin is that the couch in the living room was uncomfortable and sunk in way too low.
There is an observation tower which was neat to see. They have a couch and a bookshelf up there with a lovely view from the window but it was too hot to stay up there for very long. There is a Cantina downstairs, a winery with a beautiful bar and antiques from Germany and Italy. There is a table for playing cards and also a dart board on the wall.
They gave us a cute little bag of marshmallows and lit a campfire for us on Saturday night. We saw a bear twice, when driving on Jewel Hollow.
It was a great getaway for my husband and I to celebrate our 5^th anniversary and we hope to visit again someday.

My boyfriend and I loved our stay here. This is the epitome of hospitality and customer service. We stayed from Friday until Sunday. The cabins are immaculate. Clean and spacious and so well thought out. You can tell that they took a lot of time and energy with all the wonderful details of the space. Every corner there was something new to look at from the dishes, to the figures, to all the decorations. We stayed in the Bumblebee which had a gas fireplace, beautiful kitchen, and great bedroom. Karen made our stay absolutely wonderful. Her baked goods were amazing. Mini-​brownies, cookies, and cake. The restaurant suggestions were spot on. We went Luray, the Speakeasy for a lovely dinner, and ordered in from Anthony’s. The campfire was perfect and made a perfect ending to the weekend. I would 100% recommend this location to anybody wanting to get away for the weekend and enjoy some peace and quiet and nature.

Unmatched hospitality, a gorgeous setting, and beautiful, comfortable cabins. I would give Shadow Mountain Escape TEN stars if I could.
All the cabins are beautifully decorated and cozy. Our favorite is the Butterfly Loft. The other cabins are even more luxurious but we stick with our favorite.
Your hosts, Karen and Ralph, are honestly two of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. We receive the warmest welcome every time we visit — they make us feel like family! Karen makes the most delicious baked goods and we always feel completely spoiled.
My husband and I visit as often as we can. We rented out all four cabins for our wedding weekend and we are going back in September to celebrate our first anniversary.
There are plenty of activities in the local area — Luray Caverns, wine tasting, hiking, horseback riding and even some fun shopping at the antique and thrift stores in downtown Luray. We’ve seen countless deer, baby bears crossing the road, and we’ve even hunted Morel mushrooms on the property. We always hate to leave!
We’ve visited during every season and it’s always gorgeous no matter what the weather. In the hot summer, we rented a canoe and fished along the Shenandoah River. In the snow, we snuggled by the campfire and roasted marshmallows.
It’s less than two hours from DC, but you feel like you’re worlds away from the busy city.
This place is a treasure.

My husband and I absolutely love it here. This is our second stay in the bumble bee cabin and it feels like a home away from home. It’s so charming, rustic and eclectic. The owners are wonderful and make you feel like family. Karen leaves delicious baked goods as well. Today we watched dear play in the snow and it was lovely. If you’re looking for rest in a beautiful and romantic setting then this is the place to come.

My wife and I have stayed here twice (in the Dragonfly cabin) and enjoyed it very much. The owners Karen and Ralph are super friendly and made us feel very welcome on their beautiful property. If you are coming from the city or suburb area you will be amazed at how many stars you will see at night. And the only sounds you will hear at night are of the little stream and wildlife on the property. It is amazingly quiet and peaceful. Shadow Mountain Escape is a great place to get away from the «daily grind» of life. We will most definitely be coming back in the future!

I would completely recommend staying here if you’re in the area. We stayed here for a couple nights to celebrate my husbands bday. Karen was so patient and accommodating throughout the whole process… they even offer a military discount! :) love anyone that honors a discount for military just to see the appreciation. :)
Anyways, the grounds and property is on 15 acres and we had a comfy stay! We stayed in the ladybug cabin next to the owners cabin. Bring toiletries if you’re a heavy packer or diva. They have basic towels, soap, body bar.
Karen made wonderful recommendations for us to do while we were there. Done at inn at little Washington, hike Mary’s rock, etc.
Oh, if Karen is not from the south she sure acts like a southern belle! It’s nice to see someone who is so full of joy, smiles, and genuine care for the people.
She baked us a goodie basket and a complimentary red velvet cake! Our fave! Also brought cookies the next day with marshmallows to use at the bonfire that night. It was awesome! The skyline is ridiculous! You NEED to check it out. They are lovely. They have a funny fat cat named Felix on the property. He tried to snuggle with me at the bonfire except I’m highly allergic to kitties. So I ran away from him. Lol. They also have a dog named Lola that stays inside with them. She’s a cute little dog.
Anyways, I know I have a random review but excuse the ADD.
Point is, stay here! Karen is awesome and the property is beautiful!

An ideal weekend in Shadow Mountain Escape’s Lady Bug cabin. We received an enthusiastic welcome from Karen, one of the owners who gave us a quick tour of the cabin and left us with a basket full of homemade treats. Definitely go with the chocolate cookies.
Although this cabin shares a deck with Karen and Ralph’s house, the environment felt very private. The entry level has a nice dining area, complete with a wood-​burning stove. The upper level has a cozy bed, windows for natural light. It was gorgeous.
We ran into Karen and Ralph the next day as we were heading out to explore. They are great hosts and terrific ambassadors for the area. Every recommendation bit of information was spot on – down to the exact distance to the start of the hiking trail we took.
Our second night included a bonfire, complete with marshmallows delivered to our door. They had plenty of wood to keep us warm on a cool night.
Recommendations for the surrounding area:
Uncle Bucks has a nice, traditional diner-​style breakfast. We weren’t jazzed about the Artisan Café. It had a nice, atmosphere and live music, but neither of us enjoyed our entrees.
Karen recommended hiking Mary’s rock. It was a little steeper than I’d expected, but well worth it. If you go in the late fall to early springtime, you should factor in the time of sunset. Round trip, it’s about 2 ½ hours.
Wineries. Karen has a map of area vineyards. We took in three on our way back to DC.
We are already thinking out our next trip to Shadow Mountain. The decision to be made is whether we go back to the Lady Bug cabin or try one of the other three.

My wife and I spent a long weekend here in January 2012 and had an excellent experience in the LadyBug cabin. We love hiking in the Shenandoah’s and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city and thought we’d give this place a try. It’s on the short list of places we’d like to go back to. Overall, I’d recommend spending some time on their informative website picking out a cabin that best fits your tastes. The experience promised was exactly the experience delivered. Some special points warrant mention:
Karen (owns the cabin with her husband Ralph) was one of the friendliest and enthusiastic folks I’ve met. Upon arrival, she had freshly baked cookies, chocolate brownies, biscotti, as well as a bottle of freshly carbonated spring water (from a well on their property) ready for our enjoyment. After a quick walkthrough, she brought us some kindling for the wood stove and marshmallows for the campfire she was going to set-​up for us at sundown. The wood stove added a great ambiance to the cabin and roasting marshmallows over a campfire in the crisp mountain night was a great way to kick off our experience.
The cabin itself looked almost brand new. The downstairs was a large dining area with mini-​fridge, microwave, and wood-​burning stove. The upstairs was a large bedroom with beautiful views of the surrounding mountainside and a private bathroom. The exposed timber frame is quite a sight to behold and complements the décor of the cabin well. The only thing I missed was a nice big tub to soak in, but I understand some of their other cabins do have this feature. I might have to give that a try next time.
We had a great time walking around both the nature trail that goes around the property and taking a longer hike down Jewell Hollow Road that forms the border with Shenandoah National Park. For meals, our favorite part was taking a short drive into downtown Luray. Uncle Buck’s is a great little diner for breakfast and the rest of Luray has a bunch of interesting little stores that warrant an hour or two of exploring.
In summary, this place delivers a quiet, peaceful retreat that seems ideal for couples looking to get away for a long weekend. The website sets high expectations and delivers on them.

Great setting, buildings, décor and hosts. Couldn’t ask for more!

I want to live here.
My husband and I stayed here for a few nights last winter to celebrate two things – his return home from a year-​long tour in Afghanistan, and our first anniversary. Karen was honestly one of the sweetest, most hospitable people I’ve ever met in my entire life. From the bottle of wine and sweet note that greeted us when we arrived, to the «hot chocolate fairy» that visited one evening, everything was sprinkled with the sweetest homemade touches. The whole place feels like a big warm blanket (and there were some of those there too!).
There are deer that must live on or near the property, because there were a few that let me walk right up to them. That’s definitely something I wouldn’t be able to do at home! There’s also a pizza place that delivers, which was fantastic – we turned on the heater and had pizza and wine one night (while it was sleeting outside, no less!). We watched TV for hours and devoured the pizza. I know that might not sound like much excitement to some people, but after my husband had been in Afghanistan for that long, that night was like GOLD to me – and I have Karen to thank for it! Karen and her husband provided the perfect setting for for relaxation and peace & quiet, which is exactly what we needed.
Both of us are looking forward to going back at some point soon, and we’ve even discussed bringing other family members and friends. What a fantastic little hideaway! I can’t wait to return!