Depending on the light and the color of the sky, Mountain Lake Club's deep lake can turn blue as sapphires in surroundings best described as spectacular creations of man and nature ~ the embodiment of the state slogan, "Wild and Wonderful." A unique combination of topography and geography make Lake Shannondale and environs the unabashed "Jewel of the Panhandle."
The lake and the Club are cradled in the foothills of the original mountain in the prehistoric Blue Ridge chain. This is "The Blue Ridge Mountain" itself, the first and only to bear that iconic name and the northern peak of the majestic range rising above the Panhandle, separating it from Virginia.
Along the top of the mountain runs the world-famous Appalachian Trail, a short hike up from Mountain Lake Club.
At the base of the mountain is the storied Shenandoah River, that wide brown body of treacherous waters. Blue Ridge Mountain's streams tumble into Lake Shannondale, and the overflow drains into the Shenandoah, close enough to the Club for a healthy walk. MLC also owns eight acres of Shenandoah shoreline.
Down by the river sprawls the state-owned 1,361-acre Shannondale Springs Wildlife Management Area, where hunting and trapping are allowed. An entrance is barely a quarter-mile west of the lake.
Inside the Area but in a rugged spot are the ruins of Shannondale Springs, a historic spa consisting of three "curative" springs discovered by George Washington, a surveyor in his youth. It's said thirteen U.S. Presidents visited the spa. James Monroe called it his Summer White House.
Indeed. The Jewel of the Panhandle is only 60 miles, more or less, from the nation's capital.
Even the dam that holds this big lake is superior when compared to many privately owned dams across the nation.
Left: MLC's dam spillway beyond the Lakeside Drive Bridge.
Mountain Lake Club offers annual family memberships at $399 for 24/7 fresh-water sport fishing. By reservation, non-members can enjoy all-day fishing for $125. All fishing is catch and release.
On land, 14 acres boast the newly renovated Bath House, the only sand beach in the region, children's playground, tiny Wedding Chapel by the Lake, private boat launch, canoes and paddle boats for rent, tennis courts ~ and stunning sites for private events.
All this is barely 10 minutes from Charles Town Races and its stunning Hollywood Casino that is "worthy of the Las Vegas Strip," according to The Washington Post, August 18, 2010.
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