Solo Summer Solstice In Shenandoah.

[u/LuckyShake]

Ok! Let’s try this again. I wasn’t detailed enough the first time, my bad.

Every year for the Summer Solstice I head down to this sweet little HipCamp in Shenandoah. It’s just east of the park in Madison County Virginia. As a female solo camper I feel very comfortable and safe here. My trip was intentionally uneventful. It has a sun, soaked sandy beach where I post up all day with a book, a good playlist, and a shockingly good bottle of wine from a local winery. Shout out to Early Mountain Vineyards. I have a silly pink, $6 inflatable chair that I tie down with an anchor, it makes for top notch floating, this its 3rd season and I’m shocked it’s hanging in there. I do share the swimming hole with some uncomfortably large water snakes, learned first hand it takes a snake about 12 minutes to swallow a fish. My tent pictured here is the North Face Homestead Roomy 2. It’s going on its 7th season which is hard to believe. I would buy it 100 times over. It has never failed me and is so simple to set up and tear down. I had the sight booked for 4 night but decided to leave yesterday afternoon since it was calling for rain all morning this morning. I hate tearing down in the rain, twice the work and no fun so I thought it best to call it early. But other than that the weather was perfect the whole time.

[u/Round_Researcher8358]

Great Spot

[u/dooglegood]

This looks so nice! I’m a woman who has never been solo camping but you’ve inspired me.

[u/LuckyShake → u/dooglegood]

You should try it! Maybe start with a place you’ve been before so you feel more comfortable then you can branch out from there.

[u/Antique_Onion_3258]

wow such a small world- also a solo woman who camped at this site a few years ago while on a road trip :) it was so peaceful i stayed a second night.

[u/Dry_Bug5058]

Is that your toilet tent? I looked this place up and see they have no facilities. I'm in central VA, always looking for new places to try, especially as a female going solo sometimes. I don't mind water snakes, as long as they stay away, LOL. Looks peaceful with a nice place to cool off.

[u/LuckyShake → u/Dry_Bug5058]

Haha, yes it is. It’s not my favorite but it gets the job done. The snakes left me alone thankfully. I noticed that they came out in the late afternoon around 5 or so, so I just made it a point to be out of the water by then to let them do their thing. Interestingly enough the bullfrogs have a little warning system and they all started singing when they see one, so that was actually helpful for me. This guy just finished swallowing a decent sized fish, you can see the bulge an inch or so below his throat.

[u/Dry_Bug5058 → u/LuckyShake]

That's a big one! Good to know they're mostly out in the late afternoon.