This is one of the cabins operated by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC). This one is located in Shenandoah National Park, around milepost 59, so you will need to pay the entrance fee to SNP if you do not have an annual pass, and it is a primitive cabin, so there is no water or electric, and all trash must be packed out.
This cabin is very easy to access--park at the entrance to the fire road off Skyline Drive, and it is about a .2 mile hike, crossing the AT along the way.
The cabin has a covered porch with a picnic table and outdoor fireplace, and ample firewood available under the agreement that guests replenish the firewood that they use. There is a sawhorse and wood-splitters available for this. Inside the cabin are three sets of bunk beds, each double wide.
Amenities include:
Mattress pads for each bed, wool army blankets, interior wood-burning stove, interior picnic-table, pots and pans of varying sizes (including a cast iron skillet), flatware, glassware, ceramic bowls, plates, and mugs, and a coffee percolator.
Mice are very common here. There is a box inside the cabin to lock food in at night to keep mice out--we could hear them at night while we were there. There is a privy located a few yards away from the cabin, and a spring several yards beyond the privy where water can be obtained, though it will need to be purified.
This cabin has great views, and is a great place for people of all ages, including small children--we came here the first time for our son's 1st birthday. However the AT runs directly behind the cabin. Even in April we already saw several hikers, some stopping at the spring, others who were obviously aware of the cabin as a potential place to stop and rest. We also came in November and did not see many other hikers, and even with the very cold temperatures still stayed fairly warm inside the cabin overnight thanks to the wood-burning stove.
