Winter in the North Carolina mountains has its own special beauty. With the lush leaves of summer gone, the scenic views become starkly beautiful, and distant mountaintops are visible for many more miles than in the blue hazy mists of summer. Tall dark tree trunks weave a black and white tartan pattern with their shadows falling on snow-covered mountainsides. The roads are less traveled and the campsites no longer crowded.

It is the time when hikers layer up, don their winter gear, and set out for some of the most exhilarating treks of the year. When portions of the Blue Ridge Parkway close for ice and snow, hikers, snowshoers and cross-country skiers claim the scenic roadway for themselves.

In the High Country, Maggie Valley, and Wolf Laurel area, ski resorts offer excellent downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and snowtubing. Cross-country skiing is a favorite with many who come to enjoy the winter beauty of the mountains.

Many families enjoy a special outing at the outset of the holidays by traveling to the Christmas tree farms in the region and harvesting that very special tree for the season.

A winter highlight for runners is the annual Mount Mitchell Challenge Run and Marathon, held in Black Mountain in late February.