Winter in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina 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.
Great Southern Ski Slopes in North Carolina’s Mountains
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. Listed below are the ski mountains of Western North Carolina and their contact information. Happy Skiing from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area!
- Appalachian Ski Mountain, PO Box 106, 940 Ski Mountain Rd Blowing Rock, NC 28605, (828) 295-7828 / (800) 322-2373, Fax: (828) 295-3277, info@appskimtn.com.
- Beech Mountain Resort, PO Box 1118, Beech Mountain Parkway Beech Mountain, NC 28604, (828) 387-2011 / (800) 438-2093, Fax: (828) 387-4952, info@beechmountainresort.com.
- Cataloochee Ski Area, 1080 Ski Lodge Road Maggie Valley, NC 28751, (828) 926-0285 / (800) 768-0285, Fax: (828) 926-0354, ski@cataloochee.com.
- Sapphire Valley Ski Area, 207 Sapphire Valley Road Sapphire, NC 28774, tel:+18287437663, Fax: (828) 743-6772.
- Sugar Mountain Resort, PO Box 369, 1009 Sugar Mountain Drive, Banner Elk, NC 28604, (828) 898-4521 / (800) SUGAR-MT, Fax: (828) 898-6820, info@skisugar.com.
- Wolf Ridge Ski Resort, 578 Valley View Circle, Mars Hill, NC 28754, (828) 689-4111 / (800) 817-4111, Fax: (828) 689-9819, info@skiwolfridgenc.com.
Winter Hiking in the Mountains
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.
Christmas Tree Farms Abound in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina
Many families enjoy a special outing at the outset of the holidays by traveling to the “Choose & Cut” Christmas tree farms in the region and harvesting that very special tree for the season. Click here from more information.
An Extreme Run to the Top of Mount Mitchell
A winter highlight for runners is the annual Mount Mitchell Challenge Run and Marathon, held in Black Mountain in late February.
