TO RUSTIC FROM RESORT Find your ideal stay

By Sarah Sheppard

Patrick County has a wide variety of accommodations to suit every style and budget. The lodging owners of Patrick County go above and beyond with their rentals to provide travelers with unique, comfortable, private spaces from which to enjoy their time here. You may know about the big ones: the campgrounds, the motels, the cabin rentals, the mountain resort. We can’t possibly list them all here, but let’s take a closer look and discover just how wide a range of accommodations there are and how they play into the hidden gem that is a Patrick County destination.

Cabins & Other Private Rentals

The appeal of the cabin vacation has always been to get closer to nature, escape to a private retreat, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Patrick County offers all these things from the beginning. Once you add in a beautiful cabin as your setting, you’ve got the recipe for a perfect getaway. There are a large number of privately owned rentals throughout the county to choose from, each one unique from the other. From rustic log cabins, flowery country cottages, and funky yurts, to modern apartments and full modern guest houses, you can find the perfect private rental for you. There are well over a hundred private rentals in Patrick County. Let’s look at a few to show off the sheer variety of them.

The Cabin at Magic Tree Sanctuary is situated on 53 beautifully forested acres in Meadows of Dan right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. This classic log cabin offers cozy comfort with everything you could need and more (like heated floors!) while being steps away from streams, hiking trails, and all the peace their forests offer. Magic Tree Sanctuary offers retreats and workshop events throughout the year which can be found on their Facebook page.

For a cabin with a great view of the mountains, try Bull Mountain Hideaway in Buffalo Ridge. Sit out on the quiet deck to enjoy the views of Bull Mountain and the nearby wildlife pond, then retire in the evening to blissful comfort indoors. Centrally located within the county to many attractions.

Situated above the Meadows of Dan Food Market is the Mountain Suite, a tasteful, modern apartment suite conveniently located steps away from all the amazing shopping of Meadows of Dan, great food and coffee, and an easy on and off from the Blue Ridge Parkway. This suite includes a full kitchen, satellite TV, stocked coffee bar, and all the other amenities you need during your travels.

The charming Pondview Guesthouse offers simple country living at its best. Overlooking a beautiful spring-fed pond with hiking trails on site, guests can view many wildflowers throughout the forest, fields, and mountain marshes of the property and pick the abundant wild blackberries in July. The home has no internet or TV, allowing guests to fully experience their surroundings and unplug. Relax and unwind here, and even make friends with the host’s friendly dog, Suzy-Q!

Campgrounds

Want to get closer to nature? Or maybe you’re on a tighter budget? Either way, find great camping options in Patrick County! If you are traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway and looking for a simple stop, Rocky Knob Campground is a go-to. With easy on and off, and a great view of the night sky, you can’t go wrong here. Do you want to be a little closer to the action? Try Meadows of Dan Campground, located just off the parkway and down the street from the hub of the Meadows of Dan village with coffee, candy, great food & shopping.

Are you traveling the open road on your motorcycle and are looking for a campsite that suits not only you, but your bike? Head over to Willville Motorcycle Camp also located just past the Meadows of Dan village and right off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Are you wanting outdoor activities just steps from your campsite? Maybe you even want to bring your horse along on your adventure! Choose a site at Fairy Stone State Park. They offer traditional tent and RV campsites, cabins, yurts, equestrian sites, and even a lodge for large groups. Enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails, a lake for guarded swimming, boating, and fishing, and plenty of interactive and guided activities for all ages.

If private group camping is what you’re after, try out Wolf Creek Haven in Ararat which hosts group camping in a private woodland setting with hiking trails on site. Try out a reiki session or use their sweat lodge while you’re there!

If you’re traveling with the kids, you’ll want to check out Deer Run Campground in Woolwine! With a large swimming pool, game room, playground, fish ponds, activities and events, and more, you can entertain your little ones easily during your entire stay. Make sure to be there during Halloween for their annual haunted house and activities!

Event Camping

If you are in town for an event, most of our major event venues offer onsite camping options! Wayside Park offers electrical hookup RV spots for their events such as their famous Wayside Bluegrass Festival. Dominion Valley Park offers water and electric hookups for RV spots during their events like their Memorial Day Weekend or Labor Day Weekend gospel events. Spirithaven Farm offers unhooked RV and tent camping during their events such as the award winning Front Porch Fest.

Bed & Breakfasts

Do you take your travels with a side of bacon? Patrick County has a few bed and breakfasts at the ready, serving up a delicious meal for you to start your travels off right. Wolf Creek Farm Bed & Breakfast offers many different accommodations for their guests from rooms in the main house to private cottages to economic glamping. They offer a full country breakfast every morning as well as many activities on site such as fishing, campfires, and a swimming pool.

Old Oak Farm B&B sits nestled on a micro farm underneath an ancient oak tree. This restored 1920’s farm house provides the entire upper floor for guests. Enjoy your morning coffee by the pond. Befriend their wide variety of farm animals such as geese, ducks, goats, peacocks and more. Most importantly, enjoy a delicious breakfast prepared by your hosts each morning.

The Nests at Chapman Knoll offer two luxury guest houses complete with daily breakfast, all on their working farm. Wake up to the mooing of their beloved dairy cows Anne and Mae, or enjoy a lazy afternoon watching the chickens from your deck. You’re sure to feel at home with their tasteful decor and cozy atmosphere.

Farm Stays

A quick drive around the county will tell you that Patrick County is rooted in agriculture, in both our past and our present. However, did you know that you can stay at some of these farms and be a fly on the wall to the daily happenings of the farmer and animals?

Stay at Old Oak Farm B&B, a beautiful 1920s farmhouse decorated to maintain the original style while offering all of today’s amenities such as Keurig coffee, WiFi, and ensuite bathrooms. Spread out on 2.5 acres of beautiful views with a pond that has a large deck, ideal for your morning coffee or lit at night to enjoy the sunset. Enjoy a continental breakfast of coffee, pastries, etc. On their small farm are chickens, ducks, geese, goats, turkeys, and even a peacock as well as their friendly dogs. They are free-range on the property but will never be in your personal space. They are very friendly and will assume you have treats for them every time you arrive.

Experience a true free-range black angus cattle operation at Wolf Creek Farm Bed & Breakfast. This beautiful 100-acre farm provides a range of accommodations. Enjoy a full country breakfast each morning, hayrides to feed the cows, a campfire with s’mores and hot cider, a 5-acre fish pond with poles & boats, an in-ground swimming pool, special motorcycle amenities, and friendly southern hospitality. Guests at Wolf Creek Farm will be able to see cattle from Spring through Fall and haymaking approximately in May.

The Meadows of Dan River Walk Cabins sit on a 135-acre working lavender farm named High Country Lavender. The cabins have one mile of river frontage along the Dan River. Without leaving the property guests can enjoy walking through the flower fields, hiking the 2.5-mile trails, picnicking or fishing beside the waterfalls, wildlife-watching, and beautiful views from the deck of the cabins. Cabins come in full size (2-bedroom) and efficiency (studio-style) to meet your unique needs, all with full bathrooms & kitchens, queen beds, central heat & air, flat-screen TVs, WiFi, and linens provided.

Martin’s Blueberry Hill Cottage was established in 1984, with over 300 blueberry bushes in the orchard adding to the beautiful view of Bull Mountain just outside of your window. In July through September the berries are ripe for picking. Just walk out the front door, grab a bucket, and pick blueberries to your heart’s content. In the charming cottage, the smart TV & WIFI will keep you connected while you enjoy the quiet. The gas log fireplace will keep you warm and cozy in the winter. Everything you need to enjoy cooking a nice dinner in & fun local favorites if you prefer dining out. Enjoy the gazebo with a table for outdoor dining and the fire pit for colder nights.

Chapman Knoll is a 24-acre working farm on the outside and farm-fresh luxury on the inside. Expect a feeling of warmth and coziness when staying with them at their Bed & Breakfast, The Nests at Chapman Knoll. They offer two country-chic, private guesthouses and provide a farm-fresh breakfast to your door each morning to enjoy in the comfort of your guesthouse or balcony. Pajamas are encouraged. Whether you check everything off your itinerary or simply relax at the farm watching their beloved dairy cows roam the pastures you’re sure to have a getaway you won’t soon forget.

Spoon Mountain Farm is a WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) host farm and a “glamping” Airbnb destination. Spoon Mountain Farm is an alternative forest farm with a variety of permaculture and different types of gardens (raised, row, vertically terraced). Guests enjoy using the farm for personal retreats to relax, work on creatives, or be one with nature in the two different rustic cabins. When in season, guests at the farm can enjoy educational “weed walks” as well as purchase seasonal herbal blends grown at the farm.

Historic Lawson School Getaway is a charming Airbnb situated in Meadows of Dan and is a fully-renovated two-room vintage school building built in the early 1900s. Quaint accommodations, nostalgia, and scenic views.

The charming country property of Mayberry Mountain Meadows is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are three main houses: a white farmhouse with 4 bedrooms, furnished with antiques and fireplaces (111 years old), a 2-bedroom lake cabin, and an older log cabin adjacent to the lake cabin (100+ years old). The grounds are suited to sports and activities, such as badminton, croquet, gathering round the picnic tables, grilling outdoors, evenings around the firepit, or enjoying lake activities.

Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers in the early 1900’s, the classic log cabins at Fairy Stone State Park are the perfect getaway to unplug and connect with nature. The park was first built entirely by the CCC workers including the roads, trails, picnic areas, and much more, but the cabins truly show the craftsmanship of the workers.

Motorcycle-Friendly

Cindy and Gary, the owners of Wolf Creek Farm Bed & Breakfast are pleased to provide special amenities for fellow motorcycle enthusiasts. The drive to their 1920’s farmhouse is completely paved. Park your special ride in a covered, secure building on the premises. A washing station and maintenance area for your bikes are available, as well as a washer and dryer for those who have to pack light.

Ridge Rider Cabins offer comfortable and affordable lodging for motorcyclists traveling through the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding areas. The cabins are cozy, inviting, and built for two. Each cabin offers amenities such as air conditioning, private bath, mini-fridge, a coffee pot with coffee, and a

Enjoy the peaceful relaxation only nature will bring. You are encouraged to enjoy swimming, fishing, horseshoes, playgrounds, and the game room during your stay. Feature events for our campers include movie nights, paint parties, and our popular Halloween weekends. Please call to reserve your site!

28 Fawn Road Ferrum, VA 24088

(276) 930-1235 deerruncampground.net comfortable queen bed. Stroll down the property to a picturesque shaded place by the creek and dip your feet while you sip your favorite cool beverage. Charge your phone and your body for the next day’s adventure in the wind! Once you’re settled in, you can take advantage of the numerous twisty motorcycle routes in the area that will keep you in the wind for a day or a week!

Willville Motorcycle Camp, located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Meadows of Dan, has been a mecca for motorcyclists for over 30 years for overnight trips and extended stays. Willville combines motorcycles, touring, campfire conversations, and camping. Individual grassy campsites are available with a large well-kept bathhouse. Each site provides picnic tables and level surfaces for cyclists pulling trailers. This campground is designed for motorcycle traffic only with ample parking within the 26 acres for those who wish to trailer their bikes. Minutes away you can find the Meadows of Dan village with food, gas, and great shopping.

Resort Collections, is a five-star luxury resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Patrick County offering many types of accommodations from suites in their expansive lodge, to private chalets, to treehouses! Guests can enjoy multiple onsite dining options from casual to formal that utilize local ingredients or freshly sourced on site. Primland Resort was built around a world-class mountaintop golf course, and offers a wide range of other outdoor activities such as horseback riding, hiking, fly fishing, hunting, paddling, camping, and much more. Enjoy indoor activities as well such as the stellar observatory, full spa, indoor pool, wine cellar, game room, curated activities and events, and more.

Like many places throughout Patrick County, the views at Primland Resort alone are worth the trip. Primland’s founder, Didier Primat, and the rest of the Primat family have strived to create a place of immense beauty that offered guests a return to simple human pleasures in an environment of refined authenticity and sensuality. He developed Primland in an eco-conscious and thoughtful manner, as the ultimate retreat for world-class golf, refined dining, and outdoor activities.

Rental Companies

Sometimes you don’t want to search around. Sometimes you just want someone to find the perfect place for you so you can get on with your vacation already! In comes rental companies: Your vacation solution in a busy life. Blue Ridge Real Estate manages a number of classic cabins in beautiful locations throughout the county. Buffalo Mountain Getaway manages cabins, cottages, modern apartments and more throughout three different counties and can find the perfect space for you.

The Importance of Short-Term Rentals in Patrick County

Funky

Yurts are the perfect blend of camping and comfort, and Patrick County has plenty to offer! Try Mountain Waves Yurt in Meadows of Dan, where you will be treated to a private yurt experience with all the comforts of home. Fairy Stone State Park also has yurts available for rent alongside their cabins and campsites.

Perched in the trees overlooking the Pinnacles of Dan and Kibler Valley are three private, luxury treehouses perfect for a romantic getaway or solo retreat. The Treehouses at Primland Resort offer a king sized bed, expansive deck and breathtaking views offered in these special accommodations. The Lodge is just a short drive away for all your dining and entertainment needs.

Luxe

We’ve looked at rustic cabins, fun campgrounds, homey B&Bs and more, but we would be remiss to leave out a truly unique lodging experience hiding right here in Patrick County. The award-winning Primland Resort, now part of the Auberge

Each traveler that stays a night in a Patrick County shortterm rental pays a transient occupancy tax. These funds go to the tourism department of Patrick County. With these traveler tax dollars, the tourism department can run the Patrick County Visitors Center as well as market Patrick County as a tourist destination through print and digital advertisements, promotional videos, local event sponsorships, a website, and much more. By promoting Patrick County and its businesses, the tourism department brings in outside commerce, helping to boost the local economy. None of this would be possible without the shortterm rental hosts of Patrick County and the amazing job they do representing our area as a destination. Thank you!

The next time you are traveling to Patrick County, or maybe perhaps you are looking for a place for a visiting friend or family member to stay, consider the wide range of options available to you in our area. Contact the Patrick County Visitors Center for more information on short-term rentals or for help choosing the perfect location for you or a loved one!

People in Patrick County have heard the promise for decades: U.S. 58 would one day be widened to four lanes, all the way from Stuart up the mountain and past Lover’s Leap.

The prospect seemed ludicrous: How do you four-lane a highway up a twisty road that wraps through hollers? As a photographer put it on a blog, “U.S. 58 is as crooked as a cat’s hind leg.”

Yet the long-promised widening of U.S. 58 is now underway. Dozens of workers for numerous companies and subcontractors are in the midst of a landscape-sized, $300 million plan that will see them move roughly 11 million cubic yards of dirt. The project began in 2021 and is expected to continue until 2026.

Local residents are dealing with the day to day of the project. There are downsides, ranging from traffic delays to the emotional response to seeing parts of the mountain cleared and graded in preparation for new lanes. The surge in construction activity and workers is boosting business at local restaurants and stores. Others anticipate the project’s long-term prospects to bring visitors and merchant traffic.

For several Patrick County-raised folks playing key roles on the job, the widening of U.S. 58 feels like a fantasy come to life as they take part in the long-foretold promise.

Trey Joyce knows the road’s turns all too well, having traveled up it many times on a school bus for school sports. Now he’s one of five project engineers for Branch Civil Inc., which holds the contract to oversee the work.

Joyce spent his childhood riding up and down the mountain west of Stuart.

“I’ve traveled this road my whole life,” Joyce remembered. “Riding this road going to Meadows of Dan as a kid, to go to a basketball game on a school bus. I recall kids getting car sick riding the bus up and down the mountain when not used to traveling it every day.”

After high school, Joyce attended community college before transferring in to attain his engineering degree at Virginia Tech. He completed three internships, including one with Branch Civil. Upon graduation, however, he went to work as a geotechnical engineer with Froehling & Robertson on its project to widen Interstate 81 near Roanoke.

Then Branch Civil won the contract to four-lane U.S. 58 outside Stuart and called Joyce.

“They asked, ‘Are you interested?’ and I answered, ‘Well, heck yeah,’” Joyce said. “I’ve heard about this thing my entire life. I’m 28 years old. Ever since I was a kid, I remember people talking about, ‘Oh yeah, they’re gonna four-lane the mountain one day. I don’t know if you’ll ever see it in your lifetime or not.’ Here we are. I’m in the industry and get to be a part of it.”

Joyce is now one of Branch’s five project engineers on the U.S. 58 widening project, and one of three from Patrick County. The others are Parker Heath and Matt Hutchens.

A career in preparation

Joyce, Heath and Hutchins aren’t the only people from Patrick County involved in the project.

“It’s amazing I’m sitting where I get to do this,” said Tony Handy, area construction engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Handy grew up between Critz and Patrick Springs. Like Joyce, he recalls the state of U.S. 58 when he was growing up.

“None of it was four-lane,” Handy remembered. “Nothing was built up this way. Going to Hillsville took what seemed like forever, Virginia Beach felt like forever. Progressively as I grew up, they four-laned more and more sections going to the beach. Now, you can get there in four to five hours. But to the west, if you get behind a tractor or a logging truck, what should take you 15 minutes takes you 45.”

Handy also attended Virginia Tech. Roughly twenty-five years ago, he surveyed U.S. 58 from Stuart west to Lover’s Leap, literally walking from one end to the other for Anderson and Associates, which held the design contract on the project when he was in college.

Now, Handy oversees the U.S. 58 project for VDOT. His role wraps in a myriad of aspects: safety, travel times, economics, freight and efficiency. “My job is to protect the taxpayers,” Handy said. “Part of that is engineering safety, part of that is managing the contract. I’m making sure taxpayers get what they’re intended to get: a good road and ensure that it’s safe. Hopefully this will help save a lot of lives and accidents.”

Handy acknowledged the challenges of the project, and not just the technical difficulties of building a highway up the mountain to Lover’s Leap that can sustain 55 mph traffic. There’s also the inconvenience of road work for local motorists, along with dismay at seeing the massive landscape-scale changes required to make the widening of U.S. 58 a reality.

“The biggest misconception is we’re just out here doing whatever we want with no real thought behind it,” Handy said. “This is a huge project. We’re going to err on the side of safety. That’s going to take patience. For a few years it’s going to be an inconvenience, so we can have something really good at the end. It’s a little bit of inconvenience with big benefits for future generations.”

Construction workers bring business boost

Many Patrick County businesses already are seeing benefits from the project.

Uptown Suites routinely gets inquiries about vacancies, says owner Leslie Marsh. She purchased the 95-year-old property in 2009. The building had originally been office space before it was converted to apartments.

Marsh saw a need for “a decent place for someone like myself or someone coming here to do business.” She and her husband renovated the building, which includes two stories with 5,000 square feet each, and reopened with five units in 2012.

Uptown Suites quickly became a destination for people traveling to Patrick County for work, family matters and to purchase property. Once the U.S. 58 widening project began, construction company Kokosing contacted her to secure housing for three supervisors for at least the next year and a half.

“Those guys were staying in Hillsville,” Marsh said. Stuart doesn’t offer many lodging options, so what’s available is in high demand.

“I turn down multiple people every week,” Marsh said. “There are probably 10 people a week that are somehow connected with that project.”

“It’s gonna be a game-changer”

“You see the trucks rolling through here,” said Rebecca Adcock, director of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce. “Branch is renting an area right on the outskirts of the construction area for their office. One subcontractor has turned a vacant building into another office in Stuart. You go into town during lunch on a weekday and you’re going to see several of their trucks. It’s helping local restaurants and gas stations.”

Additionally, the town of Stuart’s utility is selling water that’s needed to spray graded areas after they’ve been reseeded. “We had to put a metered faucet on one of our fire hydrants so they can fill up their water trucks,” said Adcock, who also sits on the Stuart town council.

Dozens of workers on the project make for a significant short-term boost to Patrick County’s economy. But even this pales in comparison to what the widening of U.S. 58 could mean for its long-term future.

“It’s gonna be a game changer,” Adcock said.

First, there’s Rich Creek Industrial Park, just off U.S. 58. Opening up the road to the west will open freight routes from the county. Virginia lawmakers are considering building an “inland” port in western Virginia, likely at the intersection of interstates 81 and 77 near Wytheville. If so, the newly widened U.S. 58 will likely be a major freight route to the coastal Port of Virginia and overseas markets.

The widening may also open up more traffic to another key route — the Blue Ridge Parkway.

“People don’t really realize how much Stuart is a gateway to the Blue Ridge Parkway, especially for people coming out of Greensboro, Martinsville, and Winston-Salem,” Adcock said. “At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, I’d be home on a Saturday, and it sounded like a helicopter was hovering over my house. All these people on motorcycles just flowing up through

Stuart up onto the parkway. With a better four lane, that might entice people even more.”

The U.S. 58 widening is happening in conjunction with other Patrick County projects, Adcock said, in such a way that “right now we’re this tea pot about ready to blow the top off.”

In December, the county’s Economic Development Authority received $900,000 in state funding to renovate uptown Stuart’s former hardware store into a multi-use facility with child care services, a co-working space and a business development center. The state also awarded $850,000 to renovate the former Cockram Grist Mill in Vesta into a brewery.

“The other thing is there are five major businesses on the side of that mountain with a two-lane 58,” Adcock said. They include Poor Farmer’s Market, Nancy’s Candy Company, Kreager Woodworking, Woods Produce and Stuart Concrete. “I wonder what will happen when it’s a four-lane 58?” Adcock mused.

The big picture

Meanwhile, the widening continues.

The project has three sections. The eastern segment that begins outside Stuart will result in two lanes going in each direction, with a 4-foot paved median.

The center segment Joyce calls “the bifurcated section”: In this stretch, the westbound lanes will follow the existing road,