High in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, away from the chaos and the crowds of the Capital Beltway, an elegant lodge and family farm awaits adventurous guests eager to get back to nature and experience the beauty of this stunning corner of Appalachia. Just three and a half hours west of the iconic Washington, D.C., which is great for a solo visit, is Fort Lewis Lodge and Farm. This family-run labor of love sprawls over 3,300 acres of verdant meadows and forested mountains, and connects to national forest land that offers unparalleled outdoor recreation.
The lodge and farm, located near the small town of Fort Lewis, first opened to the public as a destination in 1988 by John and Caryl Cowden after being in the Cowden family since the 1950s, when it operated as a cattle ranch. Today, with the help of their children, the Cowdens are still operating a family farm. But improvements to the farm’s infrastructure over the years have made it one of the most dramatic destinations the region, complete with stunning lodging options, miles of nearby biking and hiking trails, and a private stretch of the Cowpasture River, considered to be Virginia’s cleanest smallmouth bass and trout river.
Experience life on a real Appalachian family farm
Guests can wander down to the family’s farming operation, where they can meet the livestock, check out the garden, and see how life works on a real family farm. The Cowdens grow much of the food they serve to their guests for both breakfast and dinner, both of which are included in stays at the lodge. The farming operation is a testament to how the Cowden family earns its living from the land. A visit to Fort Lewis Lodge and Farm is both a step back in time and homage to the family’s history on this spread that they now share with guests who come from far and wide to see it. A visit to Fort Lewis might rival any of the best farm stays in Europe â that’s how authentic this experience can be.
The lodge and farm cater to guests of all ages, and the family runs a unique experiential program that offers visitors the chance to dive into this uniquely Appalachian lifestyle. From their guest room, cabin, cottage, or full-fledged rental home on the property, guests can embark on a kayaking trip down the river, take a hike on the property’s very own trail system, hire a fly fishing guide for a day spent casting for bass and trout, or enjoy the outfit’s wood-fired sauna. Every evening at 6:30 p.m., Buck’s Bar opens for happy hour, and guests are called to the adjacent Lewis Mill Restaurant when the dinner bell rings.
Take in the Appalachians with the lodge and farm as the ideal home base
Because of its location near the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest in Western Virginia, Fort Lewis Lodge and Farm is a great launch pad for a host of outdoor activities. Trout anglers can climb into the Blue Ridge or Allegheny mountains in search of native brook trout, and will love the comforts of home at the lodge after returning from the mountains. Guests at the lodge are only about 90 minutes away from Shenandoah National Park. Additionally, Skyline Drive, Virginia’s best fall drive for foliage and mountain views, is only two hours  away through the mountain-ringed Shenandoah Valley.
For history buffs, the site of Fort Edward Johnson is just north of the lodge and farm. The fort was constructed in 1862 to protect against incursion from Union Army troops into the Shenandoah Valley, which was considered the “breadbasket of the Confederacy” during the Civil War. Just to the north of Fort Lewis Lodge and Farm is the McDowell Battlefield, where Gen. Stonewall Jackson notched the first victory of the Confederacy’s Valley Campaign in 1862.
A stay at Fort Lewis Lodge and Farm is much more than just a stopover at a rural bed and breakfast. The Cowdens’ operation is geared toward offering its guests several options for unwinding. And, for adventurous travelers motoring through Appalachia, it’s a unique stay-over that might stretch from a night into a long weekend or more. For others, the lodge and farm is the destination, and it’s easy to see why the Cowdens’ home feels so homey to others, too.