Massanutten Resort Virginia: A Family Destination for All Seasons

If you’re looking for a family friendly resort that’s perfect any time of year, Massanutten Resort outside of Washington, D.C. needs to be on your radar. This 6,000 acre property in the Shenandoah Valley will surprise guests with its multitude of activities for families. Those who want to relax can find that at Massanutten too. From spa time to swimming at the water park, trail riding to downhill skiing, this resort has something for everyone.

The Hotel

Massanutten Resort has a variety of accommodation options from hotel rooms to condos. The hotel rooms are on the mountain and have been recently renovated. They sleep up to 4 people and all rooms include coffee makers, refrigerators, televisions, as well as a balcony and sitting area.

There are also condos of various sizes available throughout the resort. Some are on the mountain and others are in the valley. We stayed in a condominium with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, living area, patio, and garage. This area is part of a gated community that has its own private swimming pool, picnic area, and workout facility.

Rooms

As I mentioned, there are a variety of condos available for families. We stayed in one of the newer Regal Vista condominiums. We had our own private garage, which opened into a mud room. From there, we had a full size kitchen with everything we needed to cook meals at home.

Adjacent to the kitchen was a large living and dining room area. I believe the couch was a sleeper sofa. The large master bedroom had an en-suite bath with a jacuzzi tub and stand alone shower. There was a full bath in the hall adjacent to the second bedroom.

Off the living area was a private deck with a BBQ and dining table. The condo sleeps 6, but it could be attached to the unit next door for a 12 person unit. The perfect setting for a family reunion!

Just up the road was the private community pool and gym, and as I mentioned it was a gated community. Less than two minutes up the road by car was the water park. The family adventure park/skiing area was about 5 minutes up the road and the main lodge was about 3 minutes away.

Activities for Kids

Massanutten Resort has a massive indoor waterpark (open year round) and outdoor waterpark (open Memorial to Labor Day). There’s also a family adventure park, mountain bike trails, golf, escape room, kids’ club, and skiing in the winter. This is a place your kids will not be bored!

Water Park

Families will love the giant slides, FlowRider (surf lesson machine), lazy river, and small children’s play area. Diamond Jim’s arcade is located above the waterpark area, and kids can have a blast when they’re finished swimming playing some fun games. There is a sit down restaurant, snack bar, and sweet shop with a couple of extra dining options during the high season.

Family Adventure Park

The Massanutten Resort has an adventure park with something for kids of all ages. We tried the Mega zip line, an 800 foot line that gave us quite a view of the place going 30 miles per hour!

We also experienced the canopy tour which had several zip lines, hanging bridges, and hiking. It took about 90 minutes and we went with guides and other guests. This was a lot of fun.

There’s a separate adventure ropes course for kids 12 and under. Don’t miss the tubing hill (see our video below), climbing wall, and kids’ play land. This is an area for a full day of adventure!

Mountain Bike Park

The resort has built an amazing trail system for mountain biking. Families will find everything from beginner to expert courses. The resort has all the gear you need, and you can hop on a ski lift, hook your bike to a chair, and head up the mountain for a ride.

Escape Room

This is one of the newest additions to Massanutten Resort’s programming. Players solve a series of clues to solve the mystery at hand. They have a set amount of time to unveil the secret plot which is hidden within the rooms. This is a great activity at night or for a rainy day!

Kids’ Club

The resort does have a kids’ club which is only open during the summer. Children need to be between the ages of 3 and 12 to participate. It’s fun for kids to meet other kids from new places and enjoy a variety of creative activities and games.

Winter sports

In the winter, Massanutten Resort offers skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and tubing. I imagine it’s a great place to be on a snowy day!

Amenities

The resort has two fitness centers, Woodstone and Le Club. Between the two there are fitness centers, swimming pools, basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball, and more.

Massanutten Resort also has opportunities for hiking, golfing, fishing, and horseback riding nearby or on property. Guests need to inquire at the front desk to make arrangements for some of these additional activities.

Dining 

If you decide you don’t want to cook in your condo, there are several good options for dining at Massanutten Resort.

Virginia Barbecue & Pizza Co. has mouth watering bbq they cook on their patio every day and serve with traditional southern side dishes. In the morning it’s a great spot for breakfast, and my son raves about their french toast sticks.

Base Camp is at the base of the chair lift and has a massive umbrella roof over the bar in the middle of the restaurant. Surrounding the bar is outdoor deck seating, and every seat has a great view. We highly recommend the BBQ nachos and the mix and match street tacos. Both were winners!

Campfire Grill is the newest addition to the Massanutten Resort. The menu has many creative dining options such as beer can burgers and the not to be missed skillet s’mores. This was our favorite dining experience during our stay.

Observations

We visited Massanutten Resort during the summer, but this resort would be perfect any time of year. It is close to Shenandoah National Park, Harrisonburg, and Luray Caverns.

Guests could spend days at the resort and never leave, or go out and explore one of the nearby destinations.

The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating, the food at all the restaurants was very good, and the accommodations are clean. When we left, my son had one thing to say: “I can’t wait to come back with the rest of the family.” That’s about the highest praise a property can get.

* We were guests of Massanutten Resort, but opinions are 100% my own.

If you’re looking for other things to do in the area, don’t miss our post about 5 Things Kids Will Love to Do in the Shenandoah Valley