Bryce Resort

Bryce Resort is the smallest of the Virginia resorts and closest to the Northern Virginia suburbs from which most of its skiers drive.

“We’re a small, family-oriented mountain. Everything funnels down to core area. It’s easy to let the kids go out and not worry about it,” said mountain manager Ryan Locher. “We’re not trying to be a Wintergreen or Massanutten.”

This year’s improvements include some snowmaking upgrades and a new ski carpet lift so that the beginner area and tubing area each have a dedicated route up the slope.

Bryce Resort: Eight trails, 500-foot vertical drop, longest run: 3,500 feet; five lifts two aerial lifts; three surface lifts.

Adult lift ticket: $34 weekdays, $49 weekends and holidays. Tubing park: $16 weekdays, $20 weekends and holidays for almost two hours.

Location: Basye, west of Interstate 81 and north of Harrisonburg, about three hours from Richmond.

Details: (800) 821-1444 or www.bryceresort.com.