When you think of a cabin in the woods, what's the first words that come to mind?
Cabin 5 at Douthat State Park (a two-bedroom cabin)
Maybe you think of the classic cabin with hand-hewn logs, dovetailed corners and hand-chinking, but the words I think of are:
· Roaring fire
· Secluded vacation
· Cuddling up with a book
· Peace and Quiet
Winter cabins at Douthat State Park (Cabin 1 and Cabin 2)
Well, you’re in luck because Douthat State Park has the perfect opportunity to start a roaring fire, feel secluded and snuggle up with a good book while enjoying the peace and quiet.
Douthat State Park has 35 cabins in the woods.
Photo courtesy Bill Crabtree Jr., Virginia Tourism Corporation
Cabins in Virginia State Park’s have developed in three different generations ranging from rustic to modern.
The first generation of cabins was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and Douthat was used as a prototype to figure out which design and floor plan worked. Douthat has 25 of these CCC cabins and all of them are different.
Some cabins have vertical logs.
Cabin 9 is a one bedroom cabin with vertical logs.
Cabin 9 is a one bedroom cabin with two twin beds in the bedroom. You can also rent two cots for the maximum capacity of four people in this cabin.
Two twin beds are in the bedroom in Cabin 9.
The fee to rent a one bedroom cabin (like Cabin 9) between now and March 31 if you live in-state is $74 a night (with a two night minimum) or $438 for the week. Out-of-state guests are $81 a night or $487 for the week. Cot rentals are $3 per night, and the fee does include linens.
Some cabins have hand hewed logs.
Cabin 20 is an example of hand hewing.
Hewing: The word hewing is a general term meaning to strike or blow with a tool such as an ax or sword; to chop or gash.Hewing is the process of converting sections of a tree trunkfrom its rounded natural form into a form with more or less flat surfaces using primarily, among other tools, an axor axes. It is an ancient method still used occasionally to square up beams for building construction.
Some cabins have round logs (the opposite of the hewed log).
Cabin 7 has round logs (and notice they are also horizontal).
Cabin 7 is a two bedroom cabin with one double bed in a bedroom and two twin beds in the other bedroom. You can also rent two cots for the maximum capacity of six people in this cabin.
Cabin 7 has the dining room and living room together with a stone fireplace.
The fee to rent a two bedroom cabin (like Cabin 7) between now and March 31 if you live in-state is $84 a night (with a two night minimum) or $506 for the week. Out-of-state guests are $93 a night or $563 for the week. Cot rentals are $3 per night, and the fee does include linens.
The twin bedroom in Cabin 7.
The cabins also have different floor plans in each of the 25 cabins. In some cabins the front door is through the kitchen while other cabins you have to walk through the living room.
There are cabins that are one room cabins
(the bed, living room and kitchen all share the same room).
Cabin 20 is a one room cabin with a double bed and stone fireplace.
The fee to rent a one room cabin (like Cabin 20) between now and March 31 if you live in-state is $62 a night (with a two night minimum) or $374 for the week. Out-of-state guests are $69 a night or $415 for the week. One room cabins do not come with cot rentals.
The second generation cabins were developed in the 1950s.
Cabin 29 at Douthat State Park.
To most state parks these cabins are referred to as cinder block cabins. The reason for the name is when you walk into the cabin you can literally see the cinder block the cabins were built with. Douthat, on the other hand, finished these cabins.
The living room inside Cabin 29 (a two bedroom cabin).
They look fantastic on the inside and very modern. Douthat has five cabins in this “generation": cabins 26 through 30 (all are two bedroom with one double bed in a bedroom and a set of bunk beds and a twin bed in the other bedroom). You can also rent one cot for the maximum capacity (six people) in these cabins.
The fee to rent a two bedroom cabin (like Cabin 29) between now and March 31 if you live in-state is $84 a night (with a two night minimum) or $506 for the week. Out-of-state guests are $93 a night or $563 for the week. Cot rentals are $3 per night, and the fee does include linens.
One double bed in one of the bedrooms in Cabin 29.
The final generation of cabins was opened to the public in 2010. There are three of these cabins at Douthat: a two-bedroom, a three-bedroom, and Beards Mountain Lodge (a six-bedroom lodge). All are very modern cabins.
Beards Mountain Lodge and Cabin 35 at Douthat State Park.
Cabin 35 is a three bedroom cabin with queen bed in one bedroom, two bunk beds in the second room, and two twin beds in the third bedroom. There are no cot rentals available with this cabin. The maximum capacity for this three bedroom cabin is 8 people.
Cabin 35 queen bedroom.
The fee to rent the three bedroom cabin (Cabin 35) between now and March 31 if you live in-state is $110 a night (with a two night minimum) or $660 for the week. Out-of-state guests are $123 a night or $734 for the week.
This is the kitchen area of the three bedroom cabin (Cabin 35) at Douthat State Park.
Beards Mountain Lodge is a six bedroom lodge with a queen bed in two bedrooms, two twin beds in two bedrooms, and two sets of bunk beds in two bedrooms. There are no cot rentals available with this lodge. The maximum capacity for Beards Mountain Lodge is 16 people.
Beards Mountain Lodge
The fee to rent Beards Mountain Lodge between now and March 31 if you live in-state is $276 a night (with a two night minimum) or $1657 for the week. Out-of-state guests are $308 a night or $1841 for the week.
Main living area in Beards Mountain Lodge.
Kitchen and dining room in Beards Mountain Lodge.
If you've been keeping up with the count then I've only mentioned 33 cabins, and you'd be right. The final two cabins are actually lodges: Creasey Lodge and Douthat Lodge.
Creasey Lodge has a great deck for cooking out in the summer.
Creasey Lodge has five bedrooms: there are two sets of bunk beds in four of the bedrooms and the last bedroom has one double bed. There are no cot rentals available with this lodge. The maximum capacity for Creasey Lodge is 18 people.
The master bedroom in Creasey Lodge with the double bed.
The fee to rent Creasey Lodge between now and March 31 if you live in-state is $224 a night (with a two night minimum) or $1341 for the week. Out-of-state guests are $249 a night or $1490 for the week.
Main living room in Creasey Lodge.
Douthat Lodge has six bedrooms: one room has one twin bed, three bedrooms have a double bed in each, another bedroom has two twin beds, and the last bedroom has four twin beds. You can also rent two cots for the maximum capacity of 15 people in this cabin.
The back of Douthat Lodge with a stone porch overlooking Douthat's 50 acre lake.
The main living area of Douthat Lodge.
Douthat Lodge is winterized between December 1 and March 31 because of the seclusion of the lodge. The weather conditions make the road very difficult for travel. The fee to rent Douthat Lodge between April 1- Thursday before Memorial Day if you live in-state is $317 a night (with a two night minimum) or $1896 for the week. Out-of-state guests are $352 a night or $2107 for the week. Cot rentals are $3 per night, and the fee does include linens.
The four twin beds in Douthat Lodge make for a great kids room.
For general park information click here, contact the park office at 540-862-8100 or e-mail Douthat State Park. Douthat is located at 14239 Douthat State Park Road, Millboro, Va. 24460.
For more information about Virginia State Parks’ activities and amenities or to make reservations in one of the more than 1,800 campsites or 300 climate-controlled cabins, call the Virginia State Parks Customer Service Center Center at 800-933-PARK or click here.
Cabins can be booked through the Customer Service Center at 800-933-7275, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or on line 24/7. Cabins require a two night minimum most of the year. From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day we require a week stay. However, within one month of arrival the requirement for the week stay drops to two nights for any cabins still available.