Basye, Virginia · 2 miles to Bryce Resort
The Roaming Rooster sleeps 8 with a private hot tub, outdoor movie nights by the fire pit, a game room and a real espresso bar. Ski, tube, golf, mountain bike and paddle Lake Laura on us. About 2 hours from Washington, DC.
Plan it once, make everyone happy
If you're the one organizing the weekend, you need a place where the kids, the grandparents and the friends all get what they came for. The Roaming Rooster is a cozy, group-friendly cabin tucked in the woods of Basye, Virginia, five minutes from Bryce Resort and Lake Laura.
Inside, there's room to be together or spread out: an open great room with an electric wood stove, a lower-level game room and second TV lounge, four bedrooms and three full baths. Outside, there's a private hot tub, a fire pit with Adirondack chairs and an outdoor movie screen. Your six resort passes are waiting for days of adventure. Guests come back for winter ski weekends, summer mountain biking, lake days, fall color, birthdays and reunions. They mention the hospitality most of all.
Bonus fun when you stay at The Roaming Rooster
Six passes cover ski/mountain biking lifts, snow tubing, ice skating, golf greens and cart fees, access to Lake Laura at Bryce Resort. That's a value of nearly $600 per day for a group of six!
Winter: December–March
45 skiable acres, three chairlifts, four carpet lifts, snow tubing and an ice rink, all two miles away. For a family ski weekend, the included lift tickets can save $1,000 or more.
One winter guest told us the included lift tickets saved his family almost $1,400 over four days.
Spring, summer & fall
Play the 18-hole mountain golf course, ride 11 lift-served mountain bike trails from beginner to advanced, or spend the afternoon on Lake Laura's beach and floating docks with a paddleboard or canoe.
“The resort passes were awesome to have as well. We enjoyed a round of golf at the nearby Bryce Resort.” — Leonardo, Fairland, MD
The good stuff
Outdoor movie area
An outdoor projector and screen turn the backyard into a private drive-in. Stream your favorite movies or live sports, pull an Adirondack chair up to the fire, grab a lap blanket and press play. Guests with kids say it's the highlight of the trip.
Fire pit
The fire pit sits under string lights with Adirondack chairs for the whole group. It's where birthday s'mores happen and where the grown-ups stay up late after the kids go to bed. Cornhole boards wait under the deck.
Private hot tub
After a day on the slopes or the bike trails, soak in your private hot tub in the back yard, steps from the fire pit and facing the movie screen. It's one of the most-mentioned features in our reviews.
Coffee bar
Start the day at the custom coffee bar with a Ninja Café Luxe espresso machine, Torani syrups and assorted teas. Scan the QR code for short video tutorials and make a latte the way you like it.
Together, with your own space
Two separate TV lounges, a game room and a quiet office mean a toddler can nap while the teens play air hockey and the adults talk by the fire.
Air hockey, foosball and ski-lodge décor, the most-mentioned feature in our reviews.
Leather sofas, a big-screen TV, board games and puzzles for rainy days.
A fully equipped kitchen with an island and a dining table set for eight.
Two king suites, a queen room and a bunk room, plus a crib for little ones.
A desk with monitor, laptop stand and HDMI/USB-C adapter, plus fast Wi-Fi.
An upper deck with an outdoor sectional, bistro table and gas grill.
| Room | Beds | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom 1 | King bed | Parents or a couple |
| Bedroom 2 | Queen bed | A second couple |
| Bedroom 3 | King bed + crib | A family with a baby |
| Bedroom 4 | Bunk bed: double + single | Kids or friends |
| Game room | Sleeper sofa (sleeps 2) | Overflow |
| Home office | Twin rollaway | Overflow |
Made for a reason to get together
Many of our guests are planning around something: a family vacation, a milestone birthday, an anniversary, a girls' weekend, a Fourth of July "family Olympics" or an annual fall trip. Little touches spread throughout the cabin make it feel like an occasion from the moment you arrive.
“Lovely home. Furnishings were all very comfortable and kitchen was well equipped for us to prepare meals. The hot tub and fire pit made our stay very enjoyable. Plenty of space for two families to spread out.”
“Plenty of space for 2 families of 4 plus a dog! Used the projector and fire pit 3 nights which was special for our kids!”
“She also provided passes to Bryce Resort, which allowed us to enjoy activities like tubing and skiing, and that made the trip even more special for our family.”
“We came as a family of 8, plus a dog, and had more than enough space for all of us to be comfortable. Between the hot tub, air hockey, grill, fully equipped kitchen, or board/family games that came with the house, we were never bored!”
“It was the perfect spot for our book club's reading retreat. Cheryl was very communicative and helpful.”
“Really peaceful, relaxing, beautiful home in the Shenandoah mountains. We enjoyed the lake, golfing and riding the lift at Bryce, and exploring the local area.”
Things to do near the Roaming Rooster
Basye sits in the quiet, wooded mountains of Shenandoah County. It's peaceful here, with beautiful skies and little traffic, and four seasons of things to do within a short drive.
Skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing and ice skating in winter. Bike park, chairlift rides, 18-hole golf and the Copper Kettle restaurant the rest of the year. Your 6 passes cover the big activities.
Beach, swimming, floating docks and a lakefront trail. Rent canoes and kayaks at the beach shack, or bring a paddleboard.
Over 200,000 acres of Blue Ridge wilderness with Skyline Drive overlooks, waterfall hikes, wildflowers and fall foliage. An easy day trip from the cabin.
Underground caverns for a rainy day, plus the antique shops, cafés and breweries of Mount Jackson, Woodstock and New Market.
The Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail is close by: Muse Vineyards, Cave Ridge Vineyard, Wolf Gap Vineyard, Shenandoah Vineyards and The Winery at Kindred Pointe, plus Swover Creek Brewery, Old Hill Cider and Woodstock Brewhouse.
Trails in the surrounding George Washington National Forest, scenic mountain drives and local fishing spots. Ask Cheryl for her favorites; they're in your guest guide.
Photo gallery
Meet your host
I'm an adventurer at heart and a mom of four. My husband Andy and I have driven across the country twice with our kids, once in an Airstream, and we've explored everywhere from Alaska to Croatia. Along the way, the places we loved most were the ones where someone had thought about what a traveling family really needs.
That's what I wanted The Roaming Rooster to be. I stocked the game room, set up the outdoor movie screen and built the coffee bar I'd want on vacation. I have a crib and high chair for the littles, hand choose the coffee for relaxing mornings and have blankets for the fire pit. And when you message me, I answer, usually within the hour.
Places we've roamed: Thailand, Laos, Paris, Alaska, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, St. John, Croatia, Montenegro, Spain and most of the United States.
Book direct with Cheryl
Same cabin, same 6 Bryce Resort passes, with your host on the other end of every message. Pick your dates below to see live pricing and book securely.
FAQ
The cabin is 2 miles from Bryce Resort and Lake Laura in Basye, Virginia, about a 5-minute drive.
Your stay includes six all-access Bryce Resort passes covering ski lift access, snow tubing and ice skating in winter, and mountain bike lift access, golf green fees with cart, and Lake Laura beach access in spring, summer and fall. That's a value of nearly $600 per day for six people. The passes hang on the coat rack inside the front door. Activities follow Bryce Resort's seasons and hours.
Because lift tickets for six are included, a family ski weekend can save $1,000 or more. One winter guest told us the passes saved his family almost $1,400 over four days.
Up to 8 guests. There are four bedrooms: Bedroom 1 has a king, Bedroom 2 a queen, Bedroom 3 a king plus a crib, and Bedroom 4 a bunk bed with a double and a single. A sleeper sofa in the game room sleeps two, and there is a twin rollaway in the home office. There are 3 full bathrooms.
Yes. About half of our guests are families with kids and half are adult friend groups. Two separate TV lounges, a game room and a home office give everyone room to be together or spread out.
Yes. Up to 2 dogs, 75 pounds or less, are welcome with a pet fee. We even leave a few dog toys.
Yes, a private hot tub on the back deck, steps from the fire pit and facing the outdoor movie screen.
There's an outdoor projector and screen with a streaming stick. Sign in to your own streaming accounts to watch movies or live sports, pull an Adirondack chair up to the fire pit and press play.
A Ninja Café Luxe espresso machine, a drip coffee maker, Torani syrups and assorted teas, with QR-code video tutorials to help you make the perfect cup.
Check-in is after 4:00 PM and check-out is by 10:00 AM. Self check-in uses a keyless keypad, and there's an easy departure checklist.
Local compliance rules require a signed rental agreement and ID verification, which take a few minutes through Happy Guest, a secure website with no app or account needed. You can choose a $1,000 security hold (a pending charge, not a deposit) or an optional non-refundable $57 damage waiver for stays up to 10 nights, plus $2 per night after that.
About 2 hours from Washington, DC, roughly 90 minutes from Dulles Airport, about 1.5 hours from Charlottesville and about 3 hours from Richmond.
Shenandoah National Park is just under an hour away, an easy day trip for Skyline Drive overlooks, waterfall hikes and fall foliage.
Stay in and play air hockey, foosball, board games and puzzles, or watch a movie in one of two TV lounges. Nearby, Shenandoah Caverns, local wineries, cideries and breweries, and the shops of Mount Jackson and Woodstock are good indoor options.
We recommend 4WD or AWD in winter because the cabin is on mountain roads. The driveway and parking pad fit 4 cars.
Firewood is not included, but it's sold locally a few minutes away and Cheryl will point you to the closest spot.
Yes. There's high-speed Wi-Fi and a dedicated workspace with a monitor, laptop stand and HDMI/USB-C adapter.
Yes. Bedroom 3 has a crib, there's a high chair in the kitchen, and the game room, board games, outdoor movies and s'mores at the fire pit keep kids busy.
You get the same cabin and the same 6 Bryce Resort passes, booked straight with your host. Cheryl answers messages herself, usually within an hour.
Six resort passes, a hot tub, movie nights by the fire and a host who answers quickly. Pick your dates and we'll take care of the rest.
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