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There hasn't been skiing there for the past couple of seasons, but they have upgraded their lodge and now exclusively offer tubing.
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Ski Sugar
Although you can't tell from the map, Sugar Mountain feels like a much larger resort than nearby Beech Mountain. Trails are longer with much higher vertical drop, and an excellent mix of terrain for everyone from beginners to experts. A 6-person express lift (installed in 2015) runs straight up the mountain, so there's plenty of capacity and lines are usually short. The single terrain park has a tow handle lift so you can practice tricks repeatedly.
Expansive park with challenging mountain cliffs, scenic views and camping options.
Ski Beech
Generally less appealing than nearby Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain's infrastructure shows its age; for example, lift tickets do not use barcodes and are checked by eye. Lifts are very slow (not helped by needing to leave empty seats for weight balance) and difficult to get on and off of due to their low load height. The trails have a fair assortment of difficulties, although beginners will feel fairly limited. However there are a number of crisscrossing intermediate trails to choose from, as well as multiple terrain parks. You can also buy a ticket for any third or two-thirds of the day (morning, afternoon, or night).
Off the Blue Ridge Parkway between mile posts 292 and 295 the park offers 25 mi of hiking and horse trails. The grounds preserve the country estate of Moses Cone, a prosperous textile entrepreneur, conservationist, and philanthropist of the Gilded Age. Its centerpiece is Flat Top Manor, a 20-room, 13,000-sq-foot mansion built in 1901 which is now home to the Parkway Craft Center.
The parkway crosses Hwy 421 east of Boone and Hwy 321 to the south of Boone. If you head south on 321 toward Blowing Rock you'll soon come upon it.
Fields teams in 10 men's sports and 10 women's sports, but best known for being one of the winningest programs in college football. They were champions in the NCAA Sun Belt East division in 2018 and 2019.