Winter Activities in the High Country

Our Mountain Area is famed for its outdoor activities all year long. Here are some of our most well known winter activities so you can plan your visit or your weekend. Stay tuned for our upcoming post about INDOOR winter activities!

Skiing, Snow Tubing and Ice Skating

Appalachian Ski Mountain

The French Swiss Ski College is one of the best in the state and offers daily group lessons, private lessons, and the SKiwee Childrens program. App Ski Mtn features twelve slopes including two terrain parks. They also offer a refrigerated outdoor ice arena for ice skating. Upcoming events include President's Day Family Weekend, featuring 4 days of family fun (February 14 - February 17)

Beech Mountain Resort

Beech Mountain Resort is the highest ski area in the east, at a peak elevation of 5,506 feet! Beech Mountain also has one of the highest average snowfalls of any of the High Country resorts! Ski Beech offers 15 slopes, seven chair lifts and a variety of terrain for skiing and snowboarding

Upcoming events include the Retro '80s Weekend! (February 20 - February 23) Featuring '80s music nightly, retro skiing daily and plenty of throwback activities in between!

Sugar Mountain Resort

Sugar Mountain is the largest of all the High Country ski resorts, offering 21 trails and 125 skiable acres. They also offer the largest amount of advanced trails and activities for non-skiers, including snowshoeing, ice skating, and tubing.

Hawksnest Tubing is the largest tubing park in North Carolina. Featuring four different areas to snow tube with over 30 lanes, Hawksnest offers fun for the whole family! Head to Hawksnest Tubing Park in Seven Devils for a unique winter experience that offers an array of terrain for everyone.

Other Activities and Attractions

Grandfather Mountain

Take a walk on the Mile-High Swinging Bridge and take in the endless winter vistas and snow capped mountains! You can also check out the museum and the animal habitats.

Linville Caverns

"See inside a mountain!" Linville Caverns is an ideal destination for visitors of all ages. It's the perfect place to visit on a cold winter day!

Hiking

The winter can be a great time to hike here in the NC Mountains! Enjoy crystal clear views and winter sunshine on some of our favorite trails!

• Elk Knob Summit Trail: 1.9 miles. Check out the amazing views from one of the highest peaks of the Appalachians!
  
• Flat Top Mountain Trail: 6 miles. Located at Moses Cone Manor, this trail takes you to open fields and to the fire tower, where you can enjoy great views of Boone and Blowing Rock.
  
• Rich Mountain Trail: 3 miles. This wide horse trail will take you around Trout Lake and to the top of Rich Mountain, where you can take in beautiful views