Review Date
December 4, 2008

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Sue Permann, Skier

Price Paid: $25.00

Summary:
Cherokee has undergone major upgrades this season.

Customer Service:
We had a great time at Cherokee last weekend!

Gone are the old, inadequate t-bar and rope tow. A brand new high-speed chairlift quickly takes you from the base to the summit. Two new trails challenged even an experienced skier like me, and the snowmaking capacity has increased so there should be few days this winter that are not ripe for skiing.

Instead of the old standbys of hot coco and frankfurters, the menu at the snack bar now includes beer, hamburgers, and pizza, and there is a new restaurant, Ga-da, featuring cheese and meat fondues served at cozy tables around a central fireplace. The new cook, Herbie Voor, also serves up healthy portions from a vegetarian menu.

Still relatively unknown, even to most Virginians, Cherokee is a great weekend getaway from the Washington rat race.

Review Date
April 13, 2008

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Jo King, Skier

Price Paid: $15.00

Summary:
Nothing fancy, just a friendly, family-run resort near Front Royal with a t-bar and a rope tow. The price is right, and there are no lift lines to speak of. My kind of place.

Review Date
February 14, 2008

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by: Abbie Kn?rmel, Skier

Price Paid: $15.00

Summary:
I was spending the weekend with a friend at the Inn at Little Washington, and one of the staff suggested an afternoon trip to Cherokee, which is only about 30 minutes away.

At first blush, Cherokee is not much, certainly not like the Alpine pistes I'm used to, but we rented some skis and took the t-bar to the top. There were no lines and only a few skiers.

The narrow trails cut through the trees and are challenging even for someone of my ability. The afternoon was cut short, however, when my companion collided with a tree and broke his leg. Mr. Stein, the operator, kindly drove him to the hospital in Front Royal.

I took a few more runs before driving back to the Inn. I highly recommend Cherokee to anyone looking for some challenging skiing without the crowds and lift lines of other local ski areas.

Customer Service:
Very friendly. I look forward to seeing Frank again this weekend.

Similar Products Used:
Mohawk Trail Skiway

Review Date
January 29, 2008

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 5 votes

Reviewed by: Bill Loney, Skier

Price Paid: $15.00

Summary:
For daytrips, the Richmond and Charlottesville crowds favors Wintergreen and Massanutten. In Northern Virginia they go to Liberty and Bryce. Snowshoe, in West Virginia, is tops for overnight trips. But the best-kept secret in Virginia is in Linden, a few short miles from Front Royal.

Gone are the ski lifts and fancy ski lodge from the early 90s. Cherokee was closed for over a decade, largely forgotten, and the equipment sold to Crotched Mountain in New Hampshire. New homes were erected in the area, but some of the trails remained undeveloped, and, a few years ago, an old T-bar was found and installed. Later a rope tow was set up for the bunny slope. You can see the rusty old Ford tractor that pulls the rope.

There’s very limited snow-making capacity, and it’s only open when there's natural snow cover. Crowds are non-existent and trails are challenging. If you’re unsure about conditions leave your shiny new equipment at home and bring your spring skis because you will scrape the bottoms.

Accommodations are non-existent, but there’s a snack bar, good for hot chocolate or hotdogs, at the bottom. It’s also where you buy lift tickets.

Well, the secrets out. It's not Killington, but it's inexpensive and a lot of fun. If you do visit, be sure and say hello to Frank at the snack bar and tell him that Bill Loney sent you!

Review Date
October 17, 2000

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
2-5 times

Visitors rate this review
2.25 of 5, 4 votes

Reviewed by: Doug Allis, DoubleDiamond, from Springfield VA

Summary:
Closed nearly a decade ago. Is there something I don't know about... like someone's trying again to put a ski hill on top of this flat hill where it dosen't snow much? How many other people remember this place?