Loft Mountain Wayside & Camp Store

Wayside — Blackberry and chocolate ice cream. I prefered blackberry.
A bit overpriced, but there is plenty of outdoor seating.
At mile 79.5, on the right.
Camp store up on the left — seriously overpriced. $ 5.20 for graham crackers. Just got wood — $ 5.50/small bundle. 4 women’s shower stalls — $ ¹⁄₅ minutes. Water is warm.

Hiking the A.T. for days on end with no hot meal save for Oatmeal and Noodles then, seeing that this wayside was coming up on my map… awesome. Hearing someone say that the restaurant is open — Hells Yeah!
I’ll start by saying that the food is a bit overpriced, cheeseburgers are $ 6.50 hotdogs are $ 3.75. Neither come with sides, those are extra. If you’ve just gotten off the A.T. then you’ll think these are some of the best burgers and hotdogs you’ve ever eaten and that paying $ 26 for 3 burgers and a hotdog is worth it. If you’re just a passer by, driving along Skyline Drive then I’d suggest that you forgo this food stop. Looking back now the burgers were a tad better than average and the hotdog was A-​OK, but for the price it’s not worth it if you’re just driving along. They do carry Devils Backbone craft beers, a VA local brew.
One great thing about this place is that they will refill your water bottles in the kitchen for you. They have a couple outlets outside where you can recharge any electrical devices you may have with you. Dogs are welcome, but obviously not inside. It has a great patio area overlooking the western valley and mountains too.
They have a souvenir shop with shirts, mugs, magnets etc. They also have some nuts, candies, gums and minimal hiking supplies. The actual Camp Store is in a different area about 2 miles East (there’s a trail) and it isn’t open until mid May.

The wayside is home to the Loft Mountain camp store, where you can get snacks, souvenirs, camping supplies, etc. It also has showers and a laundromat, which can be quite useful after a long day of hiking. It’s also located at one end of the fairly short but enjoyable Frazier Discovery Trail, and a short trail leading to the Appalachian Trail.

After leaving Blue Mountain Brewery, I headed up U.S. 250 West and entered Shenandoah National Park at the southern entrance — a first for me!
I hit a few overlooks along the way, but as darkness began to fall, I felt the need for some caffeine to keep me alert and going. Fortunately, signs indicated that the Loft Mountain Wayside & Camp Store was just a couple miles farther up the road.
The Camp Store is not right on the Skyline Drive. Traveling northbound on the Skyline Drive, you make a right hand turn onto a side road which runs for a mile or so to the Camp Store.
It’s your typical Camp Store — camping supplies: lantern mantles, white gas, toiletries, first aid stuff, snacks, beverages, laundry supplies, picnic supplies, and much more.
I snagged a cold bottle of Starbucks coffee, a bottle of water, a bag of Cheetos, and a bag of Route 11 Habanero potato chips.
I asked the lady running the register if they had had any bear sightings — she replied «no.» I had overheard a camper in the parking lot excitedly describing a bear sighting they’d had earlier in the day in the Campground. Apparently the news did not make it to the store!
Laundry facilities are also located here for campers in the Loft Mountain campground.
I’d love to come back up here and camp in the campground!