Travel Guide: Bryce Resort — WHAT THE CLIQUE

Bryce Resort is a year-round resort nestled in Basye, Virginia and home to winter activities like skiing, tubing and ice skating. There are also warmer weather activities like golf, zip lining, exploring Lake Laura and the 3 mile hiking trail that goes around the entirety of the lake. I have lived in Virginia my entire life, but had never heard of Bryce Resort until this trip.

about the resort

Bryce Resort is only a little over two hours from Washington, D.C., making it an easy weekend get-away for those who live in the DMV. I grew up going to the larger Virginia ski resorts like Wintergreen and Massanutten, but now that Matthew and I are living in Northern Virginia, the closer location is definitely appealing.

The resort itself is smaller than the better known ski resorts in the area but still has a lot to offer families looking for a get-away.

What to Do

Lake Laura | A few minutes drive from Bryce Resort is Lake Laura, a 44-acre impoundment and a great place to explore. The lake is owned by the resort and during the summer months is open for swimmers to enjoy. During operational months, you can rent paddle boards, paddleboat and kayaks for $20/hour, canoes for $15/hour and tubes for $10/day. (See here for resort pricing.) During the winter months, enjoy the Lake Laura Trail for an easy-to-moderate 3 mile hike around the entire lake. The trail is open all year for those visiting in the summertime but would still like to enjoy.

Skiing | Of course, the main attractions during the winter months are skiing and snowboarding. Bryce Resort offers 8 lift-accessed slopes, include two training slops: Bunny and Little Nip. I injured my knee the first full day at the resort and didn’t end up going to ski because of it, but the slopes were packed with families enjoying the fresh powder. Below is a trail map of the slopes at Bryce Resort.

Tubing | Depending on when you visit, there is either snow tubing or summer tubing. I’m still a little unclear what the summer tubing exactly is, but it seems similar to a waterslide. Apparently the surface is slick enough to simulate a water slide without actually needing water. During the winter, the same area of the resort is home to winter snow tubing.

Hiking | As mentioned above, there is an easy hike around Lake Laura that is perfect for a leisurely hike. If you are looking for something a little more challenging, I highly recommend checking out Big Schloss. Big Schloss is a 4.4 mile hiking trail in the George Washington National Forest with some pretty incredible views at the top. We parked at the Wolf Gap Campground and started up the Mill Mountain Trail. The first mile is a pretty steep climb, but the views along the way are incredible and definitely worth the hike.

Golfing | For those who like to play golf, Bryce Resort has an 18 hole PGA Championship course and driving range. Check out their website for rates, tee times and more.

Where to Stay

There are a few different options for where to stay at Bryce Resort. We stayed in a 3-bedroom unit through Chalet High that was super spacious, and a great distance from the ski slopes, but a little outdated. I would highly recommend checking out VRBO and Airbnb for places to stay because there are dozens of cozy cabins and slope-side condos available. The resort also offers a list of nearby lodging options for your stay on their website (view here).