Ski Season in the High Country

Home to some of the highest slopes on the East Coast, the NC High Country has some of the best skiing anywhere in the Southeast. The three large resorts have mastered maintaining great slope conditions from the end of November through March with high-tech snow-blowing equipment and great forecasting. Check out the great opportunities for winter fun, and click on their title for more information.

Appalachian Ski Mountain

Appalachian is considered the most family-friendly ski resort in the Southeast! Skiing since 1962, the mountain offers 12 slopes, including 3 Terrain Parks; 2 Quad chairlifts, 1 double chairlift, 2 conveyor lifts, & a handle pull lift. Refrigerated Outdoor Ice Arena with 3 sessions daily. Group and private lessons and Skiwee Children's program. Bavarian-style base lodge includes restaurant, ski shop, gift shop and more.

Beech Mountain Resort & Sledding Hill

As the highest ski area in the eastern U.S., Beech Mountain Resort (Ski Beech) offers 15 slopes on 98 acres of skiable area. There are plenty of runs for every skill level, and with a vertical drop of 830 feet and more than 84 inches of annual snowfall, Beech Mountain Resort stands out as the premier ski resort in the South.

The Alpine Village at Beech Mountain Resort features gift shops, eateries, a craft brewery and a 7,000-square-foot ice skating rink, open throughout the winter season. There is also a free sledding hill next to Beech Mountain Town Hall for kids 12 years and under. The sledding hill is open daily in winter, weather permitting

What better way to kick back after an adventurous day on the slopes than with great food, top-shelf drinks and an incredible panoramic view at Beech Mountain's 5506' Skybar. Wine Enthusiast magazine recently named it one of eight standout sizzling ski resort bars in the U.S. and Canada. Make a trip and see for yourself why this ski spot is worthy of the praise.

Hawksnest Snowtubing

Hawksnest Tubing park is the largest snow tubing park on the East Coast! With over 30 lanes of snow tubing that span from 400-1000 feet long, Hawksnest Tubing is the family destination for a unique winter experience. Four different snow tubing areas provide an array of terrain that satisfies even the most advanced of tubers!

Hawksnest's newly installed snowmaking facilities provide the best possible conditions and fun for the whole family. With professionally lit lanes, snow tubers can now enjoy a tubing experience that lasts later into the evening. This past summer, we at Hawksnest added more lighting, snowmaking, and lane grooming equipment. This investment of almost $200,000 is their commitment to make your snow tubing experience one to remember.

Sugar Mountain Resort

Sugar Mountain is the largest ski area in North Carolina by about 20 acres (total of 115 acres of skiable terrain). The lodge at the base of the mountain offers ski and snowboard rentals, cafeterias, a lounge, a sports shop, a locker room, and a gift shop.

Most impressive are the great updates that Sugar Mountain has invested millions in the past two seasons, first adding an entirely new run - Gunther's Way, and secondly adding a state-of-the-art lift system. The new lift can transport 6 people up to the top of the mountain nearly twice as fast as before.

Sugar also offers snowshoeing (unique to the area, a snowboarding park that is closed to skiers, and a 700-foot-long tubing park that is fun for the whole family!