Travel

12 Great Cottages, Cabins, and Other Covid-Safe Weekend Getaway Lodgings Near Washington, DC

Spend the weekend in a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright at Polymath Park. Photograph by Pat Mahoney.

Going to the Goats

Think goats are adorbs? At the Goat Loft, a pastoral-chic apartment on a 13-acre farm in Round Hill, Virginia—near Harpers Ferry and the Appalachian Trail—you can feed and cuddle them. From $100 a night; on Airbnb. Distance from DC: 54 miles.

Tiny House, Big Style

Minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, the modern, stylish Salamander Ridgecabin in Big Island, Virginia, is definitely not roughing it. And it’s in demand: Plan three months ahead. From $169 a night; @Salamanderridge on Instagram. Distance from DC: 218 miles.

Cottages on a Pond

The five cottages at By the Side of the Road—with such touches as gas fireplaces, whirlpool tubs, mini-kitchens, and porch rocking chairs—are near Shenandoah National Park. From $129 a night; bythesideoftheroad.com. Distance from DC: 132 miles.

Cabins in the Woods

Ringed by 700 acres of Western Maryland forest—and with accommodations that include 18 rustic-chic cabins and eight yurts—Savage River Lodge offers isolation inside and out. From $250 a night; savageriverlodge.com. Distance from DC: 157 miles.

Shenandoah Valley High

Iris Inn’s six deluxe cab-ins on the edge of a ravine offer mountain or wooded views through floor-to-ceiling windows and from hot tubs on the screened porches. From $559 a night; irisinn.com. Distance from DC:165 miles.

Wright This Way

At Polymath Park, you can sleep in a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright or an apprentice of his. The Pennsylvania retreat is near one of the architect’s masterpieces, Fallingwater. From $299 a night; franklloydovernight.net. Distance from DC: 201 miles.

Fabulous Prefab

Lost River Modern, a chic dwelling set in a wooded ridge in West Virginia, has a wall of windows, a spacious deck, and a Dutch hot tub overlooking the mountainside. From $239 a night; on Airbnb. Distance from DC: 125 miles.

Out on a Limb

Near Deep Creek Lake, Ella’s Enchant-ed Treehouses—one sleeps five, two others accommodate six—feature hickory furnishings, barnwood walls, and other woodsy touches. From $295; eetreehouses.com. Distance from DC: 170 miles.

Riverfront and Romantic

Spring Cottage comes with two kayaks and a paddleboard to take advantage of its location on the Magothy River. Relax in the hammock or on the dock and watch for bald eagles and ospreys. $175 a night; “charming waterfront cottage in Severna Park” on Airbnb. Distance from DC: 35 miles.

’Gram-Worthy

Designed with contactless check-in even before the pandemic, the Getaway’s 45 minimalist-chic cab-ins feature one or two beds and over-size windows looking out onto woods near Shenandoah National Park. From $199 a night; getaway.house/dc. Distance from DC: 99 miles.

Shore Leave

Along with a manor house, the Eastern Shore’s Brampton Inn has six cottages. The two most stylish, Marley’s and Mulberry, feature Japanese soaking tubs on the screened porches. Cottages from $259 a night; bramptoninn.com. Distance from DC: 81 miles.

Airstream Envy

Enjoy an RV adventure without having to drive it. The Dawn Treader, a vintage Airstream parked on Cair Paravel Farmstead in Stanardsville, Virginia, has an outdoor clawfoot tub, and guests have access to a saltwater pool and farm-to-table provisions. The farm also rents a fancy yurt and secluded home for up to eight. RV from $150 a night; on Airbnb. Distance from DC: 102 miles.

This article appears in the May 2021 issue. 

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Editor in chief

Sherri Dalphonse joined Washingtonian in 1986 as an editorial intern, and worked her way to the top of the masthead when she was named editor-in-chief in 2022. She oversees the magazine’s editorial staff, and guides the magazine’s stories and direction. She lives in DC.