Winter Fun

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North Carolina’s Ski and Snow Season Is In Full Swing

North Carolina features the highest ski areas and the largest snow tubing resort in the eastern U.S. Visitors to Western North Carolina can enjoy skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, snowshoeing, ice skating, and a winter zip line or just sitting in a warm cozy lodge drinking hot cocoa. Here is an overview of North Carolina’s facilities.

Appalachian Ski Mountain

Appalachian Ski Mountain is now the home for Burton Snowboards’ first Progression Park in North Carolina. With the completion of a multitude of ski area improvement projects, Appalachian Ski Mountain has now invested $3 million in snowmaking and other improvements in the last three years. More snow blowing fan guns were installed this summer; Appalachian Ski Mountain now has the greatest snowmaking capacity per acre in the Southeast. 828-295-7828

Cataloochee Ski Area

Cataloochee Ski Area, located in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina is traditionally the first ski resort in the Mid-Atlantic region to make snow and open for the season. The oldest winter area in North Carolina, Cataloochee continues to make significant improvements to its snowmaking capabilities, allowing the resort’s operational staff to be aggressive in helping skiers and snowboarders with their first tracks of the season. 828-926-0285

Hawksnest Snow Tubing and Zipline Course

A new addition this year is the country’s longest zip line course. The Hawksnest zip line course is 1.5 miles long and is open all year. In addition to the longest zip line course, Hawksnest has taken snow tubing to new levels of fun. Hawksnest’s expanded snow tubing operation makes it the biggest on the East Coast. Hawksnest Snow Tubing has four different areas to snow tube with more than 20 lanes of fun. Lanes are 400 -1,000 feet long with two moving carpet lifts to take guests back to the top. Hawksnest has 100 percent snowmaking and lighting on all lanes to provide the best possible conditions and fun for the whole family. 828-963-6561 or 800-822-4295    
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Sapphire Ski Valley Resort and Frozen Falls Tube Park

Sapphire Ski Resort is a four-season resort located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sapphire prides itself on being a learning and group-friendly facility.  Sapphire is also a family friendly resort for those who are looking to spend quality time with their loved ones. Sapphire Ski Resort features skiing, snowboarding and a tube park. 828-743-7663

Ski Beech at Beech Mountain

At Ski Beech the popular Oz run returns this winter with new padded quad chairs and newly installed airless electrical snowmaking hookups along the run so the slope can be blown in within 24 hours. Also this winter a second terrain park will be unveiled with a fully functional lift that will access a multi-featured park with rails, boxes and jumps for intermediate to advanced freestyle riders. The resort also features a tubing park. Additionally, all reservoir lakes have been dredged to push the mountain’s water capacity to eight-million gallons. 828-387-2011 or 1-800-438-2093 



Sugar Mountain Resort

Sugar Mountain Resort is even sweeter this year with special programs and deals throughout the season to honor its 40th anniversary. The Resort opened in 1969 with four lifts and 11 slopes for skiing. Since then Sugar has grown to include seven lifts and 20 slopes for skiers and snowboarders.  Winter activity offerings have expanded over the years to include snowshoeing, tubing and ice skating.  828-898-4521 or 1-800-SUGARMT   



Wolf Ridge Ski Resort

Formerly Wolf Laurel Slopes, Wolf Ridge Ski Resort offers 15 acres of additional ski slopes, a new quad lift, a new terrain park and much more. There is something for everyone from beginner to expert at this family-oriented resort now with an expanded 82 acres of ski terrain. 828-689-4111 

For specifics about these locations or snow reports or to get your "Gold Card Season Pass," go to GoSkiNC.com


MORE WINTER ACTIVITIES

North Carolina also has a number of other snow related activities. Snow tubing and sledding, though not as big as skiing, is a fun family-friendly activity that everyone can enjoy. Here are more of North Carolina’s facilities:



Beech Mountain Sledding Park

The Town of Beech Mountain once again offers children a winter full of fun with its free youth sledding hill, one of the highest sledding hills in the eastern United States. The hill is adjacent to Town Hall and provides good sledding conditions with a combination of man-made and natural snow. Beech Mountain, at an elevation of 5,506 feet, is the highest town in Eastern America with an average annual snowfall of more than 80 inches. The Beech Mountain sledding hill is for kids age 12 and under, although parents may ride with smaller children. Plastic sleds are required. 828-387-9283

Scaly Mountain Outdoor Center

Scaly Mountain offers year-round tubing with snow in the winter and artificial turf in the summer. The resort even offers a kiddie slope for young tubers and plans to open a skating rink in 2009. Opening for the season on Saturday. 828-526-3737



Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing

Located six miles south of Linville, Jonas Ridge features three tubing runs. They also offer night tubing. Call to confirm opening and hours. 828-733-4155

added: December 18, 2009

updated: December 21, 2009