Wintergreen offers a four-season retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains
On the sunrise side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Wintergreen is an outdoor retreat home to the 11,000-acre Wintergreen Resort. The resort is best known as Virginia’s largest ski area and has nearly 30 slopes for winter sports enthusiasts to explore. Although winter is Wintergreen’s busiest season, the community stays active year-round with various outdoor activities. “Wintergreen is positioned as a four-season resort, so there are people that come up here because they love to ski, but there are people that come up here in the summer to retreat from hotter places because you get the cool mountain air,” says Marlo Allen, a Realtor and associate broker with Nest Realty who specializes in selling homes across Nelson County. “Wintergreen sits on top of the mountain, and you have a gatehouse there where all the traffic comes in and out.” As residents head down the mountain, they’ll come across several stops on the Nelson 151 craft beverage trail. “The proximity to the wine and brew trail, aside from the outdoor recreation, is a draw for people,” Allen says.
Private resort perks and public mountain spaces by Wintergreen Resort
Residents can purchase memberships to enjoy the resort’s amenities. The Full Club Membership is the most comprehensive option, covering access to everything the resort has to offer. On the mountain, this includes an 18-hole golf course, fitness center and racquet sports complex. Down in the valley, highlights include Stoney Creek Golf Course and Lake Monocan. Members-only events are held throughout the year, and members get discounts across the resort. This membership comes with a $15,000 one-time fee and $3,300 in annual dues, with ski passes and lift tickets sold separately.
Property owners who aren’t club members can still pay to enjoy winter sports and most resort facilities. Public amenities include community pools, hiking trails, fishing ponds and parks with playgrounds. Beyond the resort, Wintergreen is home to conservation areas and scenic overlooks. “With Wintergreen, you get a lot of resort amenities, but you're also close to the Appalachian Trail,” Allen says. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs right by Wintergreen as it follows the Blue Ridge Parkway through the mountains.
Housing options range from post-and-beam retreats to ridgeline condos
Wintergreen offers single-family homes, condos and townhouses. Full-time and seasonal residents pay annual fees to the Wintergreen Property Owners Association, which funds road maintenance, the Wintergreen Police Department and Wintergreen Fire and Rescue. Single-family builds include quaint cottages, A-frame ski chalets and post-and-beam mountain homes with oversized windows. Prices range from $400,000 for smaller cottages to over $1.2 million for private retreats with spacious lots.
A range of condos are available. “Some of them will hover around the Mountain Inn, which is the ski lodge, and then there are some that kind of cluster around the ski slopes. If you travel a little higher up the mountains, you have what we call the ridgeline condos,” Allen says. Condos sell for $140,000 to $580,000, with top-floor units being more expensive. Townhouses are less common and sell for $200,000 to $420,000. Wintergreen’s CAP Index Crime Score is 1 out of 10, significantly lower than the national average of 4.
Events include theWintergreen Music Festival and Nelson Farmers Market
Public festivities are held around Wintergreen year-round. The Wintergreen Music Festival is an annual favorite, bringing live music to the mountaintop throughout July. Down in the valley, the Nelson Farmers Market invites residents to shop local each Saturday from May through October. While some festivities require tickets, events such as the Blue Ridge Bigfoot Festival are free. Residents can also join the Wintergreen Mountain Association and attend social events.
Nelson County Public Schools offers an Early College Program
The Nelson County Public Schools district earns an overall rating of B-minus from Niche. Tye River Elementary School scores a C, Nelson Middle School receives a C-plus and Nelson County High School gets a B. The high school partners with Piedmont Virginia Community College to offer an Early College Program through which students can earn an associate degree while completing their high school studies.
Mountain essentials, with more shops and restaurants along Nelson 151
The Market at Wintergreen Resort is a convenient stop for necessities, fuel, and quick bites. Mountaintop dining includes wood-fired pizzas at Fire and Frost, hearty pub fare at The Edge and cozy options inside the Mountain Inn. Most shopping and dining options are in the valley along state Route 151, where there is a grocery store, essential services and eateries.
The Nelson 151 craft beverage trail offers a flavorful journey past rolling vineyards, rustic breweries and mountain-view distilleries. Among the highlights is the Bold Rock Hard Cider headquarters, where locally crafted cider is poured just steps from where it’s made.
Shuttle service and access to state Route 151, near Charlottesville
Wintergreen Resort offers free shuttle service for property owners with drop-offs around the mountaintop. Mountain roads connect to state Route 151, and it’s about 45 miles to Charlottesville and 50 miles to Lynchburg . Richmond is just over 110 miles away. Charlottesville Albemarle Airport is 50 miles from Wintergreen. Residents are 25 miles from Augusta Health and 42 miles from UVA Health University Medical Center.
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Sally Stimpson
