NC Ski Resorts – Exciting Day Trips From The Coves

Winter will soon be upon us, and that means it’s time to hit the slopes for some winter white fun. Imagine gliding over silky white snow, wind whistling in your ears, and the exhilarating rush of accelerating down a steep snow-covered mountain (with a Blowing Rock elevation over 3,000 feet!) alongside your family and friends – but that’s not all. Hop in a tube and slide down Sugar Mountain, or ice skate by moonlight at Appalachian Ski Mountain. Take a guided snowshoe tour with your grandkids and explore. The possibilities are endless at these ski resorts in the North Carolina mountains. Here’s more about the ski resorts in the area:
SUGAR MOUNTAIN
Sugar Mountain is located in a charming mountain town with an elevation of 3,566 ft. Sugar Mountain itself has a base Blowing Rock elevation of 4,100 ft. and a summit elevation of 5,300 ft., with 125 skiable acres, 21 trails, and 8 lifts. For a full day of fun at Sugar Mountain, Full Day Slope/Lift tickets for Adults ages 12+ range from $44 – $77. For Juniors ages 5-11, Full Day tickets range from $35-51.
Enjoy night skiing, tubing, ice skating, and a guided snowshoe tour. After a long day, patrons can also enjoy on-mountain dining at the Last Run Lounge which includes a full-service bar and a large glass fireplace. Special holiday rates will be available December 18th through January 1st. Children 4 and under qualify for a free slope/lift pass but must be accompanied by a ticketed adult. Lodging is also available. SugarFest will take place December 8-10 and include live music, snowboard mini-games, ski/snowboard demos, live music, fireworks, and appearances by Olympic figure skating silver medalist Paul Wylie and two-time Olympian and World Cup Downhill winner Marco Sullivan.
BEECH MOUNTAIN
Beech Mountain is located in the college town of Boone. The Boone elevation is 3,333 ft. The resort officially opens for the season November 24th. Beech Mountain itself has a base elevation of 4,675 and a peak elevation of 5,506 ft. with 95 skiable acres, 17 trails, and a lift capacity of 10,858 skiers per hour. Slope/lift tickets start at $40 for Adults (ages 13-64) and $30 for Juniors and Seniors (ages 5-12 and 65-69). Adults &0+ ski free. Children 4 and under ski free with a ticketed adult. Tubing and ice skating are also available.
Tubing is $27 per person on weekdays, and $32 per person on weekends and holidays. Ice skating is $15 per two-hour session on weekdays, and $20 per two hour session on weekends. Children under 4 skate free. Lessons for each activity are also available. There will be also be a Grand Reopening of Beech Mountain Brewing Co., Beech Mountain’s very own brewhouse, on December 1st from 5-10 pm.
APPALACHIAN SKI MOUNTAIN
Appalachian Ski Mountain opens for the season on November 17th and closes on March 25th. The mountain has a base elevation of 3635 ft. and a peak elevation of 4000 ft, along with three terrain parks, and 12 slopes. Adult tickets start at $39 and Junior/Senior tickets start at $24. Unlimited Season Memberships are available.
Ice skating starts at $15 for two hours. Watauga County residents can enjoy half off ice skating every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 – 4:30 pm. ASM also offers the only late night skiing in High Country with Midnight Blast Weekends offered all season long. On December 2nd, join the resort for their Anniversary Weekend and celebrate their 56th year of family fun with $5 ski tickets from 9 am – 4 pm. Are you looking to make the holidays more magical this year? The slopes will be open from 1 – 10 pm on Christmas Day. On New Year’s Eve, ski by torchlight until 11:30 pm, ice skate under the moonlight until midnight, and enjoy fireworks over the mountains.
HAWKSNEST
Hawksnest is the largest snow tubing park in North Carolina, featuring 4 different areas to snow tube with over 30 lanes of fun. Each lane ranges from 400 – 1,000 feet with 2 moving carpet lifts. Weekday tickets are $29 per session, and weekends and holidays are $35 per session. Group rates start at $23 per session. Hawksnest offers a $3 military discount. Photos of your tubing experience are available for purchase after your fun day. Hawksnest is also home to the largest Zip Line Tour, featuring ten cables.
These ski resorts in the North Carolina mountains reasonably close to the Coves Mountain River Club. Because the ski resorts are located at the higher Blowing Rock elevations, they are much colder in the winter than living in the foothills. The Coves’ residents have the benefit of scooting back down the mountain to their warmer elevation homes. Our mountain community is the perfect place to live and wind down after a long day of skiing, tubing, or ice skating.
Built an elevation of 1,700 feet, the Pisgah Mountain Lodge clubhouse offers a 360-degree view of the snow-covered mountains in Blowing Rock, Boone and Banner Elk. Table Rock, Adams Knob, and Brown Mountain can be clearly seen from the lodge as well.
The top level of the lodge has floor-to-ceiling glass with a large kitchen, great room, and lending library. On the lower level, residents can make use of the fitness center – which has its own locker room, showers, and fitness class area and game room equipped with ping-pong and pool tables.
While not everyone is into winter sports, the lodge is the place to enjoy the view from the cozy clubhouse living room that faces Grandfather Mountain.
There are benefits of exploring NC mountain land for sale in the winter months. This is a smart time when the leaves are off the trees exposing views that can’t be seen in the summer months. Come take a look around and see for yourself.
They don’t call us the Best Mountain Community for nothing. We will share with you we can offer you and your family when it comes to fun and comfortable mountain living, without living in the snow.
Call us 828.754.0700 to schedule a tour!
Exploring the area for the first time?
Let us know & ask for our 70 page Complimentary Magazine.
