PEAKLIFE

Virginia was the original great frontier, where the English first settled in the New World. As America grew, people moved West, leaving behind mountain vistas, rolling green hills and coastal panoramas with minimal populations and plenty of wide-open space.

Just as diverse as the landscape are the options for your stay. While you can’t travel to Virginia quite yet, we all know there’s plenty of pleasure to be found in the planning. Come explore a path less travelled.

PRIMLAND RESORT

Luxury with limited crowds is a reality in Virginia. A stay in a Tree House at Primland Resort promises stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains with access to superb amenities, like golf on one of the nation’s top courses, not to mention room service direct to your door.

SALAMANDER RESORT & SPA

The Forbes Five-Star Salamander Resort & Spa is located roughly one hour from Washington D.C. – yet truly a world apart. Nestled in the rolling green hills of Loudoun County, surrounded by vineyards and horse pastures, the resort offers luxurious amenities in the quiet countryside. Wine tasting, horseback riding, picnicking, hiking and biking are just a few of the outdoor activities to keep you busy, far from the bustling crowds.

SANDY RIVER OUTDOOR ADVENTURE RESORT

If you’re prepared to rough it just a little without giving up ALL the finer things, glamping in a tepee at Sandy River Outdoor Adventure Resort might be just your style. When not relaxing by your personal fire pit you can be zip-lining through the tree tops or paddling blissfully along on a paddleboard.

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

Virginia offers a vast outdoor playground with more than 20 National Parks, including Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, 38 State Parks, 1.7 million acres of national forest, 63 National Area Reserves, more than 100 miles of Atlantic coastline and nearly 200 lakes and rivers. Combined with a wealth of tiny towns and scenic byways you’ll find it incredibly easy to get off the beaten path and escape the crowds for as long as your heart desires.

An RV is a brilliant way to travel without leaving all the creature comforts behind. Rental companies will even meet you at the airport – Washington Dulles International in Virginia – delivering your rented home-away-from-home, so you can set out on your journey straight away. Numerous campgrounds across Virginia cater to RVs, including options along the Blue Ridge Parkway such as Peaks of Otter; Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort, located just outside Shenandoah National Park in Luray – home to the famous Luray Caverns; and Cherrystone Family Camp & RV Resort, on Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay, to highlight a few.

WATERMAN’S CABIN

Cabins are also a great way to escape the crowds and commune with nature while not totally roughing it. You’ll find cabins, cottages, lodges and yurts in Virginia’s National and State Parks, as well as a vast variety of private offerings throughout the state.

If true tent camping is what you had in mind, Virginia offers a treasure chest of options, from campgrounds with amenities to primitive locations where you’re likely never to see a soul. Local outfitters know every nook and cranny along hundreds of miles of coastline and they’ll guide you to secret islands and sand bars out in the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and help you set up home. South-East Expeditions and Burnham Guides are just two outfitters who lead multi-day expeditions and can tailor a trip to your interests.

Virginia also has more miles of the world-famous Appalachian Trail than any other state in America and the weather makes camping along the A.T. comfortable for a good part of the year. Sample the southern end, where the Trail travels westerly through the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, this portion of the A.T. is the most remote and least travelled. You may even see some wild ponies in Grayson Highlands State Park.