North Carolina Ski Resorts: The Ultimate Guide to a Perfect Weekend Ski Trip

"Whereas Sugar is perhaps North Carolina’s most well-known mountain, Beech, as locals call it, might be its favorite. Though the vertical drop is a few hundred feet less than Sugar (830 feet), the mountain itself is taller. At over 5,500 feet, Beech boasts the claim of not only being the highest ski area in North Carolina, but the whole of the Eastern United States. With seventeen trails and eight lifts, there is plenty of room at Beech for everyone. And Beech Mountain boasts excellent night skiing, with the lifts running until 9p.m. daily during the bulk of the season. One of the best parts about Beech and Sugar Mountains are their proximity to one another. Just forty minutes separate the mountains and, if you’re looking for a mix-it-up kind of weekend, you can easily ride both."