When the temperatures turn cold and the doldrums of winter threaten to set in, the best antidote is to embrace the season. Find your inner fireside cozy, explore the seasonal shifts in the natural world, or head to western North Carolina for a winter adventure. Ski in North Carolina and you’ll quickly discover that each resort, lodge, mountain, and area has its own personality – from the high end to the down home – not to mention its own array of activities – from skiing and snowboarding to snow tubing, ice skating, and snowshoeing. Here are five of the best destinations to help shake the winter blues this year.
Cataloochee Ski Area
Location: Maggie Valley, NC
Distance from Charlotte: 3 hours
Closing Day: November through Late March
Founded in order to offer winter employment to local ranch hands, Cataloochee Ski Area became the first ski area in North Carolina when it opened in 1961. Now, this area, located a stone’s throw east of the Great Smoky Mountains, attracts skiers and snowboarders from Tennessee and both Carolinas to its slopes between the months of November and March. Cataloochee offers 18 trails (44% beginner, 39% intermediate, and 17% expert) across 50 acres. Additionally, there’s a peak elevation of 5,400 feet and a vertical drop of 740 feet. Additionally, the ski area features two terrain parks – one for beginners and one for intermediate to advanced skiers and snowboarders. Down the road, Cataloochee also operates a snow tubing facility that’s great for families of all ages.
Hatley Pointe Mountain Resort
Location: Mars Hill, NC
Distance from Charlotte: 3 hours
Closing Day: December – Mid-March
This upscale boutique resort offers a personalized and uncrowded mountain experience. Nestled next to Big Bald Mountain, Hatley Pointe’s 54 acres of skiable terrain include 15 lighted runs and a peak elevation of 4,700 square feet. Hatley also offers an array of dining options. This includes upscale American cuisine at Smoke & Timber, wood-fired pizza from Peaks & Pies, caffeine jolts at Steeps Coffee, and alcoholic libations at two slopeside bars. A VIP package is available to visitors 18 years and older. Specifically, the package includes fast pass privileges and exclusive lounge access. Additionally, the package grants private restrooms and showers, personal boot dryers, and signature robes and slippers. It’s the perfect complement to an experience already designed to feel like a cut above from the rest.
Sugar Mountain Resort
Location: Sugar Mountain, NC
Distance from CHS: 2 hours
Season: Thanksgiving through end of March
Just two hours from Charlotte, Sugar Mountain is the only place to ski in North Carolina that offers double black diamond runs. Whoopdedoo and Boulder Dash welcome skiers and snowboarders alongside Sugar Mountain’s 18 other trails. In fact, 14 of the trails are lit for night skiing/snowboarding. In addition to 125 acres of skiable terrain with a 1,200-foot vertical drop, Sugar Mountain Resort offers a range of other winter activities, including one hour and 45 minute long tubing sessions, one and a half hour ice skating sessions, and one hour guided snowshoeing sessions.
Beech Mountain Resort
Location: Beech Mountain, NC
Distance from Charlotte: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Season: 11/30-3/22
With a peak elevation of 5,506 feet, Beech Mountain is the highest ski resort in the east, and with 17 trails sprinkled across 95 skiable acres, it’s also one of the largest areas to ski in North Carolina. In addition to winding and plummeting trails, the resort also offers two terrain parks, as well as snow tubing areas for anyone seeking a different flavor of thrill. Beech Mountain stands apart as a destination for much more than snow-based activities. A range of food and beverage options cater to mountain daredevils and spectators alike, including a brewhouse, taproom and grill, coffee corners, and a family-friendly snack spot. Film screenings and live music series entertain the community year-round.
Appalachian Ski Mountain
Location: Blowing Rock, NC
Distance from Charlotte: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Season: December 3 – March 16
Appalachian Ski Mountain, which opened soon after Cataloochee, is the second oldest ski area in North Carolina. These days, the mountain offers 13 trails (three easy, six more difficult, and four most difficult), all of which are lighted for night skiing, and a whopping four terrain parks. The peak elevation of 4,000 feet supports a vertical drop of 365 feet. Non-skiiers/snowboarders can find entertainment on Appalachian Ski Mountain’s 6,000 square foot ice rink, which hosts three two-hours sessions daily. With quick access to Boone and Appalachian State University plus nearly a half-century of operation under its belt, Appalachian Ski Mountain has become something of an institution among dedicated winter sports hobbyists and first-timers alike.
