Bryce Resort

Great, convenient, friendly ski resort just a couple hours outside of DC. Very reasonable rates ($ 63 or less for a full day lift ticket) great private instructors, and a fantastic place to stash your kids for a few hours if you want to catch a few runs. The Copper Kettle is very reasonable with a great beer selection and the vibe, while nothing fancy, is warm and welcoming. The only thing I would mention is the runs are definitely geared towards the beginner in mind, but as an intermediate snowboarder who’s a little out of practice– the slopes were the perfect place for a tune up. Added bonus if you score yourself a private lesson. I didn’t catch my guys name but he was super helpful in giving me some pointers on what I could improve on and tips to smooth out my ride.

We stopped by the resort during our summer vacation to kill some time and see what they had to offer. Me and my son decided on some mini-​golf and I have to say that I was not impressed. While each hole seemed to be handmade and all made out of wood, it was unfortunate that almost all of the objects that were supposed to move were not working. I think that they could make this a great thing for families to do, especially during the summer months. I will say that the woman in the golf shop was very polite and was able to help.

There are many fun things to do here year round. My husband and I enjoy the bike park. It has great trails for all experience levels. Just don’t eat at The Copper Kettle (not very good) and absolutely make sure the bike that you are renting is working properly before going up. We will be going again!

Can I give a place no stars? The rooms are set in 1982. We used The fireplace and the ventilation was horrid. — we have a fireplace at home And know how to use one. We were later informed that our room’s location was not good for using the fireplace. There are no carbon monoxide detectors. The manager told me that nothing has ever happened so they don’t see a need to put one in. Brilliant ! We were here for the 4^th of July fireworks. The fireworks were fine but there was more pot being smoked than at some grateful dead concerts I’ve attended. I’m no prude but the place was full of kids and having that much weed in the air was gross.
The place may have been great during Reagan’s first term but now it’s run down and depressing. The restaurant is ok but way too expensive. I got this week for free from my timeshare and will be leaving early. We were here in the summer so I have no idea what the skiing is like. Also, there is a pool and playground that could only be used by owners not time share people. One good thing is that the maintenance man was helpful

Went here on a summer weekend golfing trip. Played 3 rounds of golf at the course located on the resort. Course was in excellent shape. Greens, fairways, and tee boxes were flush and freshly mowed. Rented a single family house for the weekend. It had 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and was very clean and updated. The house was fully equipped with clean sheets, bathroom towels, toilet paper, Dish Network, grills, plates, silverware, cooking utensils and even a bread maker (Note to owner: Maybe a blender might be more functional. I don’t know many people who go vacationing planning on making a loaf of bread). For the price we paid to go on the trip the value was exceptional! The only reason for 4 starts is that the service at the resort bar/​restaurant was mediocre. I almost got the feeling they don’t like out-​of-​towners. You work at a tourist resort!
Warning: There is a general store just outside the resort, but the nearest full grocery store is not close. Either plan accordingly or plan on a lengthy trip to buy food if you want to cook any meals.

Just left four days early from a summer resort vacation at RCI, The Pines at Bryce Mountain, in Basye, VA. Bryce Mountain facilities are OK. They are dated but functional. Not too many frills. There were not many tourists around, locals appear to be the primary users of the 18 hole golf course, the mountain bike runs and the «resort» facilities. The area is clean and pets are permitted. Do not come to this place expecting there to be much to do, besides mountain biking, playing golf or possibly fishing. There are clean, plain swimming pools on premises. You can hike, up the ski slopes or on the myriad of steep winding roads but you are not permitted to hike on the mountain bike trails (nor would I recommend it.) There is no local flavor, in that there is nothing to do at all. There is no main street to stroll down, no local shops to hunt for souvenirs. Locals are tolerant of outsiders, but not particularly welcoming. The dining establishments all provide pre-​packaged, foods. Don’t expect to find, locally produced hams, preserves, country breads or anything of the like in Basye. You also will not find local textiles, jewelry, nick-​nacks, quilts, cheeses, or cured meats of any kind. For that matter, don’t expect to find much of anything at all. In fact, although the room sports a fully stocked kitchen filled with vintage appliances from the 60s and 70s, make sure you buy food somewhere before driving in. The closest actual grocery store with real food is more than 15 miles away.
The Wi-​Fi did not work in our room, and although it had a DvD/​TV, it had the wrong remote and we could not use the DvD player. Complaints to maintenance resulted in being told that we shouldn’t come to the mountains to use «That Internet» and we must have lost our remote. In my opinion the only type of resort, RCI’s «The Pines» at Bryce Mountain Ski Lodge in Basye, VA is, is a last resort for someone desperate to get out of town.

My family and I will never ever go to this resort again.
My family came to celebrate my son’s 4^th birthday. I called in advance to make sure they had a snow tubing session. I was told there was one at 6 pm. We drove 2 hours one way. When we got there, they told us that the snow tubing session was canceled. This was supposed to be the only session that day. I was ready to cry there. What was I supposed to say to my 4– year-​old son who came to celebrate his birthday?
I think that they do it all the time. If they do not get enough people, they just cancel a session. They have a schedule on their website listing their sessions one week in advance. When I called, they were still planning to have a snow tubing session that evening. However, they decided to cancel the last minute. People come from hours away and how could they do this to someone? Horrible place. I will never go back.
Oh, yes, they told me if we come back at the weekend, we can get their weekly rate. But who would compensate us for our lost time, for mileage, and for my son’s ruined birthday!!!

I don’t know if if I would call this a four season resort, especially if you go in October. Haha
We rented a house for the weekend, and it is beautiful there, but other than the resort amenities everything else is an hour away. Bryce seems comparable to Massanutten, but Massanutten offers so much more…
Bryce has only one restaurant we could find. In the fall, the zip line and bike parks are open, and there’s golf and the scenic chair ride. Although I found info on Lake Laura I didn’t see any info about fishing there, which was what my son wanted to do.
It’s nice for a weekend, but not sure I could entertain myself with resort amenities for a week.

Not that crowded and perfect for beginners snow boarders or skiers and especially people with young kids. We enjoy warm fireplace inside food court.
Personally compared to other ski resort we thought food was reasonably priced.
Bottom line — one of the friendliest ski resort in the DC Metro area. Perfect place for a day trip with family.

Really great family resort. Not as plush as some of the other resorts but also not as crowded. Friendly staff. Great beginner hills and lessons. Nice resort restaurant. A little dated but not uncomfortable. We will be coming back maybe every season!

This review is strictly for the snow tubing. I had planned a trip the Shenandoah region for months and called many times to confirm they would be open on New Years Day and what their hours would be. On two separate phone calls, I was told they would open at 10 for ticket sales. Well on New Years day we dragged our asses to the ticket booth (and believe me, it was a struggle making that happen) just to find out they weren’t open until 11. I pride myself in doing my due diligence so to have confirmed two different times and given wrong information was annoying. We could have REALLY used that extra hour of sleep that morning.
In the end, tubing ended up being a blast. We had no idea what to expect since the website doesn’t give you much. There is a carpet lift that takes you up the hill (you just have to stand there, dont worry) to 3 separate snow lanes. It would have been nice to see some variance in each lane (maybe a tall one, a zig zag one, a deep one, etc) but they were all the same. Your ticket gets you an hour and 45 minutes of tubing. We did it for about an hour. You can switch it up and go tandem, we even linked up and did a 4 person trip. You can go backwards, forwards, spinning. After about an hour of trying all the combinations, we were over it.
We then had lunch at the Copper Kettle lounge and that had a pretty decent menu (small beer selection though). Bryce is the smallest resort in Virginia, I believe, but overall it offered a fun adryelaline rush on New Years day that we would have not otherwise gotten laying in our beds all day.

After 3 hour drive we found out they cancelled our reservation. Did not apologize or offer any type of discount. Never coming back here.

If you are skiing from a helicopter blasting rush while shredding your way down a double black diamond, giving two middle fingers to the world, this place is not for you.
If you are a beginner skier, want a casual ski environment, or have a family of any size, THEN BRYCE IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! The all caps statement should reinforce that idea. I have been coming here for 20 years now, I learned to ski here, and my family and I come back every year with family or friends. The slopes are always nice or at least groomed, they improved snow making from the past, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. There are not that many runs on the mountain (8 total I think), but if you are learning it is a good set up, and you will feel like a pro by the end of the day. Its great for kids, the last day I was skiing there I swear it was my GF, me, and about 532 children, all skiing. But there was no crazy line for the lift, no blocked runs from groups of snowboarders, and no stress. Its a great place for anyone aged 4 – 104, and the prices are very competitive with the region. They also are very flexible and helpful, for example I saved a few bucks when I extended my two day rental to three days. And if you don’t like skiing, try the tubing! I know I will be back here many more times, hopefully with my own kids one day. Family fun, family prices, family time. Sweet place, dude.

Love this place! Kids enjoy the skiing and tubing. Very inexpensive compared to other local places to ski… Helps we own a house on the mountain so we are there all the time!

Not worth the long drive here. Dont make reservations. You wont have any!!! Then you will have to wait because they will tell you they cant do anything!!!

I’ve been spending a good bit of time recently out at Bryce. Some good friends of mine own a house out here — so I’ve been staying with them here and there.
Bryce is awesome for a number of reasons — there are a number of activities to enjoy: skiing, grass skiing, snow boarding, zip line, tubing, euro-​bungee, rock climbing wall, golf, miniature golf, fly fishing, and more. I’m not a skier or golfer, but there are plenty of folks enjoying these activities at Bryce. There are also hiking trails very close by in the George Washington National Forest.
It’s very quiet, so other than the noise from the occasional small private Aircraft landing at Sky Bryce Airport, it’s ideal for chilling and relaxing, reading…
You can also eat lunch and dinner at The Copper Kettle — the restaurant/​bar/​lounge at Bryce. I sat in the bar one evening and watched the Virginia Tech vs. Florida State football game on ESPN HD and drank a few beers. The Copper Kettle is a good place to drink — one of the bartenders — Ann — is friendly and knows how to make a lot of drinks. She makes a mean Bloody Mary!
I’m looking forward to spending more time at Bryce!

an excellent experience for the new/​moderate skiier or family ski trip with younger children. several bunny slopes to learn the basics and several larger runs for the more familiar skiier. not for an aggressive/​expert skiier wanting very challenging slopes. the Friday i went had literally no lines at the lifts and only a handful of skiiers on the slopes. snow tubing area and two lodges/​restaurants area at the base of the slopes as skiing alternatives. ski class for new skiiers every few hours. $ 150 for two extended day (9am to 8:30pm) lift tickets with equipment rentals. (weekday rates). hotels within 20 – 30 minute drive.

When I was fifteen, I worked as a ski instructor here and Bryce resort is a great place to learn how to ski. But if you are an experienced skiier, youd be better off going to Massanutten if looking to ski in the Shenandoah Valley. And as i said it is a great place to teach someone.
To be honest though, Bryce is just a glorified hill. Its difficult slopes are medium, and there one diamond, is barely difficult (just narrow). Also, I dont really think that its worth the money (unless its your 1^st time).
As a resort though, there are numerous other activities one could take advantage of. The golf course is actually pretty good, and rather beautiful. It is also the only resort in VA that offers grass skiing and mtn. boarding. They have just recently installed a zip line tour that Im dying to try out.
Other activities include: Horseback riding, swimming, tennis, mini golf, mountain tubing, chairlift rides, climbing wall and bungee. Theres also Lake Laura right around the corner, but it kinda sucks… no literally, my sister went swimming and I had to pull two leaches off of her afterward. Thank god it wasnt a Stand By Me moment.
All-​in-​all Bryce is a pretty cool place, that offers numerous outdoor activities. If youre in the valley, its definitely a place to visit.