Wander Lodge Rentals · Guest guideA secluded A-frame on a wooded mountainside above Harpers Ferry: hot tub, arcade, movie room, a spring and our own trail.
01 · Arrival
Most GPS routes come in on I-340 or Route 9 through the edge of Charles Town. Stop for groceries there (Martin's, Food Lion, Weis, Walmart); the River country store down our road has essentials, beer and wine only.
Set the address before you leave the main road. The last stretch is windy and cell service is patchy; the cabin Wi-Fi is fast once you are in.
Wild Turkey Road is paved. The last quarter mile is a steep hill and the cabin is at the top on the right. Two gravel driveways: use the SECOND one, past the cabin at the very top by the gazebo. That is where the front door is.
Your personal door code is in your check-in message and in the Airbnb app, and it works from 3 PM on check-in day until check-out. It only opens the front door on the deck by the gazebo; the sliding doors and basement doors lock from inside.
Parking: four cars across the two driveways, a fifth at the dead end. Trailers are fine. Please never park on the little side street; it is a neighbor's private drive.
Winter: the hill can be treacherous in snow or ice and AWD or 4x4 is strongly recommended. If three inches or more is forecast we will message you about timing.
02 · Wi-Fi
Fast fiber; both of us work from the cabin. If it drops, unplug the white eero on the floor behind the living room TV for 30 seconds and plug it back in. Cell service is weak on the mountain, so turn on Wi-Fi calling.
Get the Wi-Fi passwordSame page as the QR code in the frame. The password is also in your check-in message.
03 · The house
House rules
Voices carry in the woods and the neighbors are closer than they look. Hot tub and deck are fine, just keep it low after 10.
That is our permit limit. Friends over for dinner within the count is fine; please park in our driveways, never the side street.
$85 pet fee per stay, no breed or weight limits. Leashed outside, cleaned up after, and please keep them off the beds.
Outside at the fire pits is fine. Smoked cocktails indoors are fine too.
This is a family cabin on a quiet road.
No glass in or around it, shower before use, kids supervised, cover on when you are done. Bath towels are fine to use out there.
Toilet paper only down the toilets: no wipes, no feminine products, no grease. Well water is safe; we keep a Brita in the fridge because we prefer the taste.
Two exterior cameras at the corners of the house point at the two driveways. They record on motion, alerts are off, and there is nothing indoors.
Something not right?
04 · Explore
Written by Denny and Stephanie. Pick the kind of day you want and we will show you the places that fit, closest first, with a one-day plan to string them together. Hours change; when a day matters, a quick call ahead is worth it.
Everything we love, closest first.
Starts from the deck and zigzags down past the spring. Marked, and a perfect morning coffee walk. It needs some maintenance after winter storms, so watch your footing.
No need to drive anywhere.
A couple of minutes down the road and open to the public: swimming beach with a roped shallow area, lake, and a restaurant. Our go-to for lunch while the cabin is being turned over, and they do Christmas lights in December.
Day passes at the gate, about $8 to $10, kids under 4 free. Summer through Labor Day, roughly 11 to 8. No outside food or drink, no lifeguard.
The AT crosses the road minutes from the cabin. Head north for a quiet ridge walk with almost nobody on it.
Tiny parking lot on Route 9 at the gap; if it is full, come back later rather than parking on the shoulder.
Unassuming from the outside, excellent inside. Our coffee and bagel stop on the way out to anything.
Mon to Sat 7 to 6, closed Sunday. Take-out.
Our pick for tubing and rafting, because the same stop has the zip line and aerial course and Harpers Ferry Brewing up on the ridge. Make a whole day of it.
Age and weight minimums apply; call before booking with little ones. Summer season.
The big full-service outfitter: tubing, rafting, kayaks, zip lines, and snow tubing in winter.
Check age and weight minimums before booking.
The smaller local outfitter for tubing, kayaks and rafting. Friendly, and a little less crowded on busy weekends.
A floating inflatable obstacle course on the river: trampolines, slides, climbing walls. Newer, and a big hit with kids.
Summer season, book a session ahead on busy weekends.
Our delivery pizza. Easiest through DoorDash straight to the cabin.
Torlone's on Charles Town Road is closer for carry-out (opens at 2, no delivery).
Up on the ridge at the Adventure Center with a big view over the river and live music Friday through Sunday. Always a fun group stop.
Mon, Tue and Sun noon to 8, Wed to Sat noon to 10.
Live horse racing, slots and table games about 15 minutes away. A fun night out if the group wants something different.
River Riders' snow tubing hill, 15 minutes from the cabin. A fun winter afternoon, then back to the hot tub.
Winter only; sessions sell out on snow days.
All vegan, and honestly some of the best food in the area regardless of how you eat. The first vegan restaurant in West Virginia.
Closed Monday and Tuesday. Sat 10 to 4 and 5 to 8, Sun 10 to 4, Wed to Fri 11 to 8.
Newer spot in Bolivar next to Kelley Farm Kitchen with excellent reviews. We have not been yet, but it is on our list; tell us how it was.
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Our home turf. Walk the historic streets, cross the footbridge over the Potomac, poke into the museums, then lunch at The Rabbit Hole. The ghost tours in the fall are a fun night out.
$20 per vehicle. Park at the visitor center and ride the shuttle in, or grab the train-station lot in town outside of summer weekends.
Photo: National Park Service Digital Image Archives (Public domain)
Flat, shaded, and right there when you cross the footbridge from town. Strollers, bikes and tired legs all do fine on it. Walk as far as you like and turn around.
Free. Same parking as Maryland Heights.
Photo: National Park Service Digital Image Archives (Public domain)
Our reliable favorite in historic Harpers Ferry: great burgers, sandwiches, pierogies, and one of the best craft beer lists around. Casual and walkable from anywhere downtown.
Mon to Thu noon to 8, Fri and Sat 11 to 9, Sun 11 to 8.
Quick, solid lunch in historic Harpers Ferry. Grab a sandwich and eat down by the river.
Daily 11 to 5.
The in-town coffee and pastry stop in Harpers Ferry. Grab one before the Maryland Heights hike.
Hands down our favorite hike. Park in historic Harpers Ferry, cross the footbridge over the Potomac and pick up the trailhead just off the C&O towpath. Steep but short, and the overlook of the town is the best view in the area. We have done it a dozen times and it never gets old.
Summer weekends: park at the lot a half mile before town, the train-station lot fills with tubers. Easier day: stay on the flat C&O towpath from the same spot.
Top of our list. A big estate with award-winning wines and mountain views. If you only visit one winery, make it this one.
Tastings daily from 11.
Photo: Jan Kronsell (Public domain)
Three minutes from Breaux with an elegant tasting room and mountain views. Our second stop after Breaux.
Closed Monday and Tuesday. Fri and Sat until 8:30.
The one that is open on Mondays when most of the others are closed. Laid back and friendly.
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Thu to Mon 11 to 6.
A winery and a farm brewery in one, so it works for the wine drinkers and the beer drinkers in your group.
Weekend hours, check before you go.
Free outdoor tennis and pickleball courts in Charles Town. Our lot is too steep for a net, so this is where we point players.
Standout beer in a beautiful farm setting, one of our top picks for beer people.
Thursday through Sunday only.
Across the river in Sharpsburg, MD, and the one we send people to when they want excellent beer AND a real meal. Pairs with Antietam.
Closed Monday. Tue to Thu 3 to 9, Fri and Sat noon to 9, Sun noon to 6.
Farm brewery with some of the best beer in the region. Worth the drive for the beer aficionado in your group.
Thursday through Sunday only.
Brewery, distillery and working farm in one, with a relaxed group vibe and room for kids to roam. Worth the drive to Lovettsville.
Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Worth a half day if history is your thing. Drive the loop, climb the observation tower, and stop in Sharpsburg after; Potomac Ridge Brewing is right there.
About 30 minutes. The self-guided audio driving tour is the way to do it.
Photo: NPS Photo (Public domain)
Hands down our favorite restaurant in the entire area. A French bistro with a garden patio in Shepherdstown; Stephanie and I make a point of going every time we are at the cabin. Dinner or brunch.
Closed Mondays. Book ahead on weekends.
A block from Bistro 112 in Shepherdstown, candlelit and quiet. The date-night alternative when Bistro is booked.
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Dinner only, 5 to 8 or 9.
Our favorite little town to wander: a walkable main street with coffee, shops, Bistro 112 and Press Room. The oldest town in West Virginia, and it feels like it.
Make it dinner and a stroll. Stoney's Pub opened in late 2025 if you want a casual pint.
Maryland's tallest cascading waterfall, an easy trail from the lake, and the lake beach is great in summer. Pairs well with lunch in Frederick.
Photo: Aneta Kaluzna (Public domain)
Where we go to ski: lessons, snow tubing and night skiing. Liberty and Roundtop are the same distance if Whitetail is sold out.
About 1 hour 10 minutes.
05 · Map
Tap a pin for directions. Pins more than about 45 minutes out are off the edge; pinch to zoom out.
06 · Checkout
Check-out is 11 AM. Trash and recycling to the cans by the driveway.
Cover the grill and turn the propane off at the tank; turn the fire pit off.
Sign out of your apps on the movie room TV.
Start the dishwasher if there is anything in it. Pile used towels in a bathroom or by the basement laundry.
Lock the front door keypad, the sliding doors and the basement doors.
No need to strip beds, do laundry, or touch the hot tub or thermostat. They reset themselves.
Thank you for staying with us. If you loved it, a review means more than you would guess, and if anything was off, tell us first so we can fix it for the next guest.