Bryce History

People have been escaping to the Bryce Resort area for fun and relaxation for nearly a century. This mountain hideaway began as a summer retreat called Bryce's Mountain Resort way back in 1909. By the late 1960's it was transformed into a winter getaway as well, when its ski slopes opened to the public. Ever since, couples and families from the Washington, DC, area have been discovering this hidden gem: a beautiful lush valley nestled in the Allegheny Mountains, just 2 hours from the Washington, DC, Beltway. (Click here for directions)

Some stay a weekend, others spend a week, and quite a few can't bear to leave they're here for a lifetime. Rental accommodations range from mountaintop condos to golf course and slope-side townhomes to full-size homes in woodland settings. Visitors keep coming back to Bryce Resort for all sorts of reasons, in all four seasons. Some love the variety of family activities possible here, from the nation's first mountain tubing run , skiing (it's the best place in the mid-Atlantic region to learn how to ski), snowboarding, and snow tubing to golf, swimming, tennis, hiking, horseback riding, and lake activities.

Others come to explore the historic and scenic Shenandoah Valley (we're only 11 miles from the Old Valley Pike, aka Route 11). Towns and villages in the area date back to the mid-1700s, and the area was the scene of many Civil War battles during the Valley Campaign of 1864. Most of these towns have museums, old buildings and churches, and other historic sites (not to mention antique shops, galleries, and gift shops) just waiting to be explored. The beautifully preserved historic towns of Winchester (an hour to the north) and Staunton (an hour and 15 minutes to the south) are easy day trips from Bryce Resort. In between, the charming and historic towns of Strasburg, Woodstock, Edinburg, Mount Jackson, and New Market offer plenty to see and do, and all are between 20 and 45 minutes from Bryce. Civil War buffs in particular enjoy visiting the battlefields and museums in the area.(Click here for a sampling of area attractions).

Bryce Resort is one of the few member-owned resorts in Virginia, organized for the recreational and social pleasures of its members. It is a non-stock corporation directed by a seven-member board of directors. All golf, snowsports, and Lake Laura activities and facilities are open to the public, but members enjoy additional benefits and amenities. (Click here to learn more about membership) About one-third of property owners live here full time. Bryce Resort's proximity to the Washington, DC, area makes it a perfect retirement location for those who want to remain close to children and grandchildren and to the cultural amenities in the DC area..(Click here for area real estate agents)

Spread over 400 acres in Basye, Virginia, on the eastern side of Great North Mountain, Bryce Resort, in addition to its signature golf and snowsports facilities, offers a wide range of other outdoor activities. There's also a convenient branch of the Shenandoah County Library (complete with public Internet access), and a private airport.