Camping at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park

Trip:45
Nights: 152-153

It had been a month since we went camping. Real life intervened and forced the cancellation of two camping trips in July. We originally planned to spend last week camping near Knoxville and Nashville, TN. Then we changed it to a quiet week at a State Park, and ultimately it ended up as a weekend in Shenandoah National Park. Not that I'm complaining about living within weekend trip distance of Shenandoah National Park.

On another note, if you divide what I paid for the camper new in 2020 ($16,500) by the nights we've camped in it (152) you get $108.55 per night of camping, before campground fees, gas, etc. I'm saving so much money with this camper!

I regret nothing.

NPS saves some campsites for short notice (2 weeks) and last minute (4 days) reservations at Big Meadows, so we were able to book a site on only a couple of days notice. The heatwave in RVA broke on Thursday, and it was only 88F here on Friday. It was 74F at the campground, and that was the warmest it would be all weekend. Friday night was a campfire and chill night. Saturday AM we got up and did a couple of hours of birding on the Appalachian Trail, followed by some time in Big Meadow before the rain hit at noon. After lunch and some cards in the camper, we headed over to the lodge to read in the tap house with a tasty IPA. At 4 PM there was an author event from a guy that wrote a book about his through hike 25 odd years ago. He was entertaining enough, but his stories were all kind of the same as I've read in a few other through hike journals, so I wasn't motivated to buy the book. The rain had stopped by the time we left the lodge, so Saturday night was another campfire and chill night. On Sunday we went back over to Big Meadow, and the birding was more productive in the early morning hours. We were on the way home by 11 AM.

After two weeks of unrelenting heat, a weekend at 74F and below was just what I needed.