A ‘Spirited’ Getaway at Endless Caverns and Shenandoah

My recent research trip to the Shenandoah Valley became a nature getaway, too. In chasing information for my upcoming book on the history of spirits in Virginia, I visited three area distilleries and visited breweries and restaurants in and around nearby Harrisonburg. Between stops, I found a relaxing getaway at Endless Caverns Resort in New Market, Virginia. The campground, with RV sites and cabins, blends serene surroundings and cozy comfort with fun.

The vibes at Endless Caverns: Nature meets comfort

From the moment you drive through the wooded entrance, you know you’re entering a peaceful refuge. A quiet energy emanates from the natural surroundings. Besides bird songs and treetops whispering with the breezes, you find a stillness punctuated occasionally with the sounds of fellow guests. Towering trees surround each campsite, like welcoming sentinels, shielding visitors from the stress of life back home.

The resort balances rustic retreat with amenities for comfort and enjoyment. Activity options include corn hole, pickleball, disc golf, a seasonal swimming pool, an arcade room, hiking trails, a catch-and-release pond, community spaces, and special events. Newt and I took a hike up to the grand ENDLESS CAVERNS sign, along groomed but rustic trails and a bit of elevation change.

The resort is nestled on a hillside. Visitors who can’t navigate the hills can rent a golf cart for cruising the campground. The camp hosts are always available, in case of emergency.

The property features more than 140 sites, designed mostly for RVs with full hookups offering 30 amps and 50 amps. The trees dominate the eye-scape, maximizing nature over manmade sights. Campsites are sufficiently roomy, with space for parking and serenity. Nearly two dozen new cabins allow people without RVs or tents to find their perfect getaway at Endless Caverns, too.

The new cabins: Modern, cozy, and thoughtful

The cabins at Endless Caverns are fresh, thoughtfully designed, and bright, fitting in easily with their wooded setting. They are compact without being cramped.

• Layout & design: The small cabins are laid out like RVs, slim but deep, efficiently designed to maximize space, to be cozy but not cramped. Plenty of lights and ceiling fans enhance the vibe, and generous windows frame the nature views. Each cabin accommodates up to six guests, with a queen bed, twin-over-full bunk, and a sleeper sofa. The kitchen is equipped with appliances and basic dishes, utensils, and cookware. Heating and cooling units provide comfortable temps throughout the seasons.
• Attention to detail: In my travels, I’ve noted small details that make stays more convenient. Endless Caverns must have read my mind (or my articles). The modern bathrooms have quality showerheads and water pressure, plus hooks for hanging vanity bags and towels. Bedside outlets and lights, even in the bunk bedroom, enable phone charging, bedtime reading, and turning off your lights without leaving the comfort of the covers. WiFi and two TVs help you stay connected. Most importantly, the cabins are sparkling clean. You get the charm of a campground without having to rough it.
• Outdoor space: Each cabin site features a picnic table, firepit, and screened-in porch, so guests can find their personal relaxation spot.
• One ADA-accessible cabin: People with disabilities can enjoy nature here, too!
• Pet friendly: No need to leave your furry friends at home.

Endless Caverns cave tours

The campgrounds sit beyond the entrance to Endless Caverns, discovered in 1879 and officially opened to the public in 1920. The limestone cavern’s system of galleries and tunnels winds its way many miles under the Massanutten Mountain range. The end of the cavern system has yet to be found, hence the name. It’s a part of the Virginia Cave and Karst Trail, one of more than 4,400 caves in the commonwealth.

Tours offer glimpses of the astonishing underground geology. Of course, you’ll see innumerable stalactites, stalagmites, and columns where the two eventually met in the middle. You’ll see a hefty rock platform, tilted and broken from a long-ago earthquake; flowstone formations that look like draperies; rimstone dams formed by calcite build-up; sparkling white calcite crystal encrustations; mysterious passages and holes, reaching in all directions; and more.

Tips and highlights

• Pack comfortable shoes with grippy surfaces for trails and the cavern tour.
• Bring marshmallows! The firepits are practically begging for s’mores. (Firewood bundles available for purchase at the gift shop.)

Endless Caverns Resort and Caverns
EndlessCaverns.com
1800 Endless Caverns Rd., New Market

Spirited research

On the way from my homebase in Richmond to Endless Caverns, I stopped at Virginia Foothills Distillery, just west of Gordonsville. Later, I visited two distilleries in Luray, Blue Shepherd Spirits and River Hill Distillery, about half hour northeast of Endless Caverns.

Virginia Foothills Distillery: Easy on the eye and spicy on the palate

The entrance to Virginia Foothills Distillery sets expectations high. The entryway is flanked by two stylish whitewashed brick walls with shaded outlines of Virginia mountain ranges. The tasting room and dog-friendly patio keep expectations high – nicely appointed, comfortable, and casually elegant, with fireplaces inside and out. The tasting room offers samples as well as crafted cocktails and bottles.

So far, the young distillery offers two Blind Preacher rye bourbons: a single barrel 100 proof and small batch 90 proof. Virginia Foothill’s aged spirits began at a Kentucky distillery before the Virginia distillery was licensed. They were made using from the mash bill recipe provided by Virginia Foothills distiller and co-owner Col. Chuck Reinhold. The rye spiciness is subtle, balanced by the sweetness of corn, with caramel, vanilla, and oak from the barrel-aging. They’re both smooth enough for sipping as well as in cocktails.

Reinhold is also planning to make a grain vodka and a gin.

VirginiaFoothillsDistillery.com
5361 Spotswood Trail, Barboursville, Virginia

Blue Shepherd Spirits: Spirited indeed!

I’d interviewed Blue Shepherd owner Alex Colby for a “Spirited Virginia” article on dogs at distilleries, but this was my first chance to visit Colby and his German Shepherd Kiya at the distillery. The Blue Shepherd tasting room gives off an industrial vibe, with metal overhead doors opening between the interior and patio, as weather allows. A permanent food truck beside the patio features smash burgers (with a black bean option).

The tasting room’s casual nature sets the stage for a lively vibe, which was on full display during my October visit. The tasting room celebrates all major holidays, and Halloween is a perfect time to showcase whimsy and fun. On my visit, the space was decorated with skeletons, skulls, and zombie heads, with nearly a dozen seasonal cocktails created for dramatic presentations.

Darkwood Manor Transfusion, for example, is served with a red, fruity rum punch in a medical-style transfusion bag, which the customer opens to drip over the ice and the eyeball garnish (a cocktail cherry inside white lychee fruit). The Texas Chainsaw Massacre comes with a vial filled with a bloody-looking beet potion, which the customer pours over the agave spirit and ice. A skull ice cube with drips of red in the eye sockets put the seasonal spirit even into year-round drinks.

Blue Shepherd distills several spirits, including bourbon, vodka, rum, gin, rye whiskey, and agave, and offers tastings of current offerings. The bourbon is made with local corn, aged for six months in new 10-gallon oak barrels, with a touch of rye spice and delicate oak and caramel notes from aging. Dog Days of Summer rum is aged with spices, adding delightful flavor notes to the molasses and cane sugar base. The small-batch distillery also creates spirits blended and aged, as in Petit Verdot and Chambourcin wine barrels.

BlueShepherdSpirits.com
622 W. Main St., Luray

River Hill Distillery: Humble and worthy

Distilling is just one of this family farm’s most recent undertakings. The family has been farming the Shenandoah Valley for more than 200 years. Fred and Amy Foley still grow and sell crops – including corn for their own whiskey and for other distillers – raise cattle, and manage an on-site horse-boarding service.

In addition to growing the grains, Foley also malts them, such as fruitwood smoking, to add complex, smoky flavor profiles.

The small tasting room serves product samples, including bourbon, corn whiskey, a clear moonshine made from refined sugar, and flavored moonshines. Foley has been distilling at his River Hill Distillery since 2014, and his products reflect his experience, for smooth liquors with clean but complex flavors. Given the small operation, visitors typically get the owner/distiller himself to pour the spirits and answer questions.

Visitors can also purchase beef from the farm, a sure-fire pairing with the farm distillery’s whiskey.

RiverHillDistillery.com
356 Ruffners Ferry Rd., Luray