Mutton Top Cabin

This weekend my friends and I went on an overnight camping trip right outside of Charlottesville! Though the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club we had the opportunity to rent a cabin that is maintained by the volunteer club members. It was just wonderful! 

The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club maintains over 1000 miles of trails in Virginia. The Club builds and maintains free hiking shelters as well as renting out 33 different cabins, which are used by Club members as well as the general public. Club members have the ability to choose from any of the cabins, whereas the general public have a limited list of rentals. 


My friends and I stayed in Mutton Top Cabin! It was simple, rustic, and very welcoming. Without electricity or running water, we came prepared with saws, axes, and lots of bottled water. The boys spend most of their time, while the sun was still shining, collecting big pieces of wood and chopping them up to get ready for our nighttime bonfire... I helped find the perfect s'more sticks!  

The night was just perfect. We cooked steak fajitas for dinner... filled with all the right toppings and finished off the meal with pears and apples cooked by the fire in cinnamon, brown sugar, and honey. This meal was more gourmet then I usually have with electricity! We used a grill and our bonfire to cook up all the food for the night. With the use of cast iron skillets and the right ingredients we made a great meal. 

Later in the night we cranked up the fire, roasted up some marshmallows, and made too many s'mores to count... in my opinion, s'mores should be their own food group! While the temperature was quickly dropping into the night, the fire was letting off enough heat- some of us even to take off our extra jackets and gloves. 

After enjoying the fire for the night, we were able to retreat inside the cabin and hang out around the wood heater. The cabin was spacious and there was plenty of room for all of us to sit around the heater and spend time together. Mutton Top Cabin has room for nine people to sleep...make sure to bring a sleeping bag, blankets, and a pillow! 

If you happen to be an early riser like me you might be able to catch sunrise! I woke up for a brief period of time around 6:00 and had the most wonderful view outside the cabin windows. It was such a treat to arise to such a beautiful Charlottesville site! 

If you are in the mood to hike or take a short trail walk there are many paths right around the cabins. The scenery is great and the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains are phenomenal! We took the time to walk around the area and found some awesome spots. 

This trip sure was relaxing.... I know I am going to go back one day! I encourage you to look into renting a cabin from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. Located only twenty minutes outside of C'ville, it's the perfect weekend get-away!