Adventuring at the Farm on 1100 Acres Bordering the National Park

Long view of our Rose River Valley & the Blue Ridge

Hiking

Our own 18 miles of trails - easy strolls rising to really tough uphill to 3200 feet - not Old Rag but tough enough to kick a butt or three. It's one of our own two mountains. This one is "Doubletop", the other one - lower - is, of course, Graves Mountain.

Up the classic Shenandoah National Park hikes - Old Rag and White Oak Canyon - both just up our back hollow road - 7 miles.

Fly Fishing

Three mountain streams - two here on the farm and the Rapidan a short drive. Two streams are stocked and natives are higher up. On your own or with a guide.

Pond Fishing

Two ponds. One with bass and catfish, one with stocked trout - seasonal.

Fly Fishing Guided 

Learning with one of our guides. He will start you off with a Fly Rod or hone the skills you want to have - like mountain stream fishing for wily natives.

Horse Riding

Trail Rides - 1 hour to all day. Through orchards, meadows, woods and up our mountains

Lessons with Eddie and Leah - from "Get to Know the Horse" to high level communication.

Overnight Camping Trail Ride - Long day in the saddle winds up at Rapidan camping area with feast from the cam-fire, tents set up for you, sleeping bags ready, then trail ride breakfast, pack-up and the trails back to the Farm.

Road Biking

Flats through the valley and up rural side turns.

Turn by Turns as set up by the "Tour de Madison", our local road bike challenge in mid-May.

Super challenges to get you ready for a Tour e France if not the Rockies' Triple By-pass. On little traveled roads, you will hear the cars coming, on no verge roads. Here we have bye ways up down and around, up down and around, back down and back-around.

Mountain Biking

Doodling along our dirt roads, riding along meadows, through orchards, by ponds, and streams.

Long pulls up non-technical double tracks to above us - to the top of the Blue Ridge.

Tough, technical scrambles along trails to the tops of our two mountains - strong skills needed on rough trails that are rich in rock.

Rock Climbing
- learn or hone your skills with our partners, Shenandoah Mountain Guides

Full day - drive up to Old Stony. Minimum of four, please, or check what other groups may be booked so that you can join in and make new mates.

Cascading Down Waterfalls
- wet and slithery
- learning to rappel down the falls in White Oak Canyon. Shenandoah Mountain Guides leads and makes it not seem scary.

Full day - drive up our back hollow road to White Oak Canyon, hike to the top of the waterfalls and start to learn the tools of the slipping and sliding. Minimum of four, please. Weekdays only as too many people in the falls during weekends. We need peace to learn.

Trail Running

Flat around the meadows and orchard
Killer up the mountains
 - -  Craft beers when beat

Farm Life Exploring
- life's better on the farm

Farm Yard Exploring with the goats, chickens, pet pigs and calf

Egg collecting at the Valley Chicken Coop - below the Main Lodge.

Walking with Ellie and Bootsie - pet pigs and not so little any more, plus BB the pet calf.

Goat play - along with wondering  at the `monster pigs and non-monster self-shearing sheep.

Cattle and calves  - also Longhorns in the field by the entrance to the Farm.

Horses and Ponies - trail rides and learning..

Swimming in our "swimming hole".  Yes, getting wet and splashing does not not always have to be in a pool.

Spotting bears, deer, little beetle and bug critters around the cabins and lodge rooms, eagles, herons, owls, hawks and vultures.

Just Playtime

Huge pool - seasonal, - Memorial Day Weekend through Labor day.

Strolling around the ponds, in the orchards, along the stream.

Swimming - huge Pool - seasonal (not heated), Memorial Weekend through Labor Day.

Swimming hole play in the stream.

Campfire with S'mores
- Fri, Sat and anytime you want at your cabin or lodge fire-pit.

Local Music and Beverages - Sat afternoons with our best local vineyard's wines, our own hard cider, Graves Mountain "Squeeze", local craft beer, and  moonshine. Living LOCAL.

Massages – must book ahead, please.

Vineyard Tours – four Vineyards within 30 mins. One, the best, DuCard, is just over the hill. Superior wines framed by vineyards and Blue Ridge.  A rural experience looking up to where our orchards were in the 50's. Living LOCAL

Craft Brewers tour – four brewers within 30 mins. Living LOCAL.

Game Room at the Lodge - board games, puzzles and ping pong

Games in your cabin

Library at Poplar Lodge

Corn Hole - also regular Corn Hole tournaments that are master-minded by one of our farmers, Kaleb, who is variously #1 or #2 in the country - along with his sister and younger brother who both compete. Living LOCAL.

Horseshoes - down by the river

Volleyball - we have a sand court next to the pool, Covid allowing

Badminton & croquet - available by the pool, Covid allowing

Touring the sights – the historic houses, meandering the byways, Luray Caverns, Skyline Drive

Antiquing – 70,000 sq. ft. in Ruckersville – 30 mins

Barn Quilt art tour through Greene County. We have one of the barn quilts on our Main Lodge

Rocking Chair lazy day. We do that too here.

Festivals of Farming & Community
All subject to Covid process and as a result may be postponed to the next year

Early April
Heritage Trout Fishing Day
- special day for young fisher folk with Trout Unlimited along our streams and on our ponds

Weekend Following Memorial Day
Music Festival - Roots & Branches of Bluegrass 
- three days Bluegrass - our Mountain Heritage and where it has grown - that's the roots and branches, jamming, hikes, yoga, bike rides, mountain climbing.

Fourth of July
Fireworks and Band for Madison County
Here at the Farm for the whole County.

Last weekend of July
Peach Day Festival
Farm stand and Peaches of course, music, food, local beer and wine tent.

Throughout the year - approximately 3 weekends
Bluegrass Jams – in the Campground

First three weekends in October
Apple Harvest Festival
Apples, apple picking, pumpkins, squashes, apple butter doughnut, cider, hard cider, wines beers, hay-rides, farm-yard, hay mountain, hay maze, food, stream playing, local mountain music, Birds of Prey Shows- Raptor Encounters, and lots of things we should not be eating, over 75 vendors.

Halloween
- new tradition of the Haunting of the Apple Packing Shed, now a local tradition led by the Hurt Family who live nearby and two of whom work on the Farm.

New Year's Eve
- local band and good times with local brews, Covid allowing.

Valentine's
- local band and good time with local brews, Covid allowing.

Discovering & Learning

Nature Discovery Walk
Nature walk discovery  of the Blue ridge by Shenadoah National Park.
Sat at 11 AM - 12:15 PM -  free, with Jenn and Daniel Mintz. History, geology, and nature at work in the valley. For all ages. Living LOCAL.

Get to Know the Horse 
With Circle H Equine Stables here on the farm: trail rides, lessons, stabling during camping, horse sales
Living LOCAL.

Fly Fishing Lessons & Guiding
See here for Fly Fishing and Spin Casting on 2 mountain streams and 3 ponds plus another two mountain streams nearby. Living LOCAL.`

Yoga classes - all levels
Yoga at Graves Mountain - many Saturdays and available for a private session for yourself or a group. With Jenn Bennet Mintz of In True Nature. $10 drop-in. Mats available.

Wellness Weekends
Wellness weekends at Graves Mountain - see here for schedule and what makes up the weekend.
Living LOCAL.

Guided Hikes with Jenn and Tim - our nature and adventuring team
We have regular guided hikes on the farm, shortish 1.5 hrs , easy to challenging, usually $10 per hike. Children free. See here for our schedule and to sign up.

Watercolor Learning Workshop with Lou Messa.
Monthly workshop for acrylic-watercolor landscape learners and wise ones. Lou is a local Blue Ridge landscape legend who loves to grow new artists. Living LOCAL.

Soap Making Class Workshop
Soap making workshop with Cornerstone Lavender Farms expert. Once a month.
Living LOCAL.

Rock Climbing
Mountain exploring, rock climbing  with  our partners - Shenadoah Mountain Guides

Team Building with resident gurus "TeamLink".
They train the "Seals" and Fortune 500 groups and local non-profits.

Southern Contemporary Cooking at Graves Mountain

the Farm Restaurant with Southern Home-style Cooking

 - at the Farm Restaurant
-  to-go at the Market

Southern Flavors and Special Diets
Southern home-style traditional flavors with contemporary twists  - pot pies, skillet fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, meatloaf, smoked BBQ along with basics such as burgers, quiche, lasagna and vegetarian options.

Kids Meals and Family Friendly Pricing
Child Half Price Discount  - 14 to 6 yrs
Toddler Free - 5 and down yrs.
Kids Menu with Sides $7

Vegetarian and Gluten Free
We always have vegetarian options along with gluten free suggestions. In addition to the menu, please ask for what the chef can do for you.

Living LOCAL.
Most of our vegetables come from our neighboring farms in season.

We make our own Apple Butter, jams, jellies, and cider - also now our own Hard Cider - Graves Mountain "Squeeze".

Wines, beers, and spirits - Living LOCAL.
DuCard Vineyard is our local partner, just one hollow over. Julien crafts fine French style wines.
Beer Hound Brewers in Culpeper brew our craft beers.
Hard Cider - we make our own special "old style" hard cider - our "Squeeze".
Moonshine - Tim Smith's Climax Moonshine and Bourbon both come from Belmont Farms in Culpeper.

Market Deli & Tackle
Our corner store has prepared foods for dinners to go from the Farm Restaurant, hot and cold deli sandwiches.

Deposit, Cancellation, Check-in & Check-out

Check In Time
Anytime as there are no assigned sites. Free-form is the way.

Check Out Time
Any time.

Late Checkout
As late as you like.

Deposit Required  When Buying Online  - 72 hour cancellation window