Cataloochee Ski Area

Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley could be an amazing resort, but the overall customer experience seriously falls short, especially for the price. The skiing itself was actually fun when you could ski. Conditions were decent and the runs were enjoyable. Unfortunately, by around noon the resort became so overcrowded that it was taking close to an hour just to get on a lift and complete a single run. For a family of three paying almost $400 for a 6-hour pass, that’s unacceptable. The overcrowding also raised real safety concerns. We personally watched four or more people get carted off with injuries, likely due to a combination of inexperience and far too many people packed onto the slopes at once. To make matters worse, I had to rent a snowboard and boots because my board didn’t arrive in the mail in time. The rental equipment was honestly terrible- poor-quality boards and uncomfortable boots that clearly need replacing. This wasn’t just my experience either; we heard multiple other people complaining about the rental snowboards and boots throughout the day. the rental gear should be reliable and well-maintained. The staff deserves credit—they were friendly, helpful, and doing the best they could. However, the resort itself feels run down and overdue for upgrades, and it seems like too many tickets are sold without regard for guest experience. Even lunch was a problem. By the time we went to eat, we waited another 30+ minutes just to get food. Between lift lines and food lines, our 6-hour pass was mostly spent waiting instead of skiing, which completely ruins the value. Cataloochee has potential, but until they address crowd control, equipment quality, infrastructure upgrades, and overall flow, it’s hard to justify the cost. Customer experience should matter more than squeezing every possible ticket sale into the day. The photos im adding was taken at around the 1:30-2pm time frame This resort has the potential to be a 5 star resort with just a few upgrades.

I haven't been here for about 25 years, however, I agree with a lot of other posts....It's a place to snow ski. Manmade snow, but it is snow. Not much else going on here. I'm use to Ober Mountain. Lots to do there, just costs a bit more. Saturday "day" session was crammed packed! Parking leaves a lot to be desired. Did 2 night sessions. Not as crowded. Food is extremely over priced! It will sustain life, but that is about all. Stay away from the Coke machines....$4.00 for a bottle of Coke is outrageous! Resting areas were not very warm. Outside patio heaters were not lit. I can say the staff was friendly, helpful, and welcoming. Just don't get your expectations up about much else.

Overall pretty good, our bigger kids were able to ski and do all the activities. However, what attractions like this one really lack are activities for the toddlers who don't really know how to ski. Even further, it's recommend that you like activities like this because if you're new to it like our bigger kids, they get bored pretty easily. Staff was friendly, you find yourself waiting around an hour if you rent the equipment before you go out to the slopes. Food is not top tier but it's definitely levels above being average. Still recommended for the enthusiasts who really like to ski.

Took a few days off from work to come up and do a some Southern skiing. Have been here about 3 times and as long as you keep your expectations in check, you’ll have a good time. Coming from the west coast, skiing in Mammoth, Tahoe, Park City, this resort does the job. Smaller resort, decent runs, man made snow, I got my fix. Came here after the holidays and it was the best time to come. Little to no crowds, bought lift tickets and ski rentals online. Was on the slopes in 30 min. Did a night skiing session and a 4 hour day session the next day. Fun place to spend the day.

I am giving this location a 3 star overall review. I enjoyed our time, however I didn’t like that there was not any staff asking if you were okay or checking on you at the bottom of the slopes, which was where everyone would pile up or fall over. The only worker who asked if people were okay were the two on the green lift. They would stop the lift and come help you if you needed help. That was really the only safety I saw. There were first aid people on the mountain throughout the day, but not sure if more stay higher up, as the higher slopes could have more injuries? Be aware that some people stop in random spots, which I wasn’t sure if that was safe / allowed? We did it since others were doing it, but we made sure we were out of people’s way who were still skiing or snowboarding by us. The guests who were there with us were very nice. I know it’s completely random, but we could tell several people there yesterday go all the time. They were checking on us and going around us safely when we would fall. If someone had to stop quick near us, they would apologize for being close to us. The few workers we spoke to were nice. However, a few did not pay any attention to us or understand what we were asking at times. A few just smiled at me when I tried to ask them a question about the lift, resulting in my trying to find another worker to help me. They also didn’t scan our lift ticket every time, which is fine but when they decided to scan our ticket on one of the runs, my husband and I got split up and had to ride separately up the lift because she was talking instead of scanning both of our papers. One of the workers also didn’t slow the lift down for me like the others did and I got hit with the seat pretty hard on that same ride up. I think they’re working on opening a new drop off spot, which is ideal for the other green level. We loved that one slope, but I was terrified on the blue that I had to take to try the higher up green level. I fell pretty hard several times throughout our day, and my skis never unclipped either. Not sure what that was about, but luckily from what I can tell so far, I don’t have any serious leg injuries…I am pretty sure I have a concussion and whiplash from 2 hard hits with my head on the ground, bruised shins from the boots, and soreness all over. If I had to be 100% honest, as a first time skier I did a pretty good job. I just feel like I was in a really bad car accident and have had a pretty bad headache for few hours now. I have never been skiing before, but I am pretty athletic…just do what you think will be best for you and your safety. Definitely get a helmet or rent one, do NOT go down the slopes without one. I saw a few really bad collisions while we were out there and I’m sure people saw me wipe out crazy a few times. Just try to have fun and make the best choice for you.

Took a group out here for quick ski trip and it being my first time at this area I did not know what to expect. We bought our tickets online with the impression that they would “sell out” but we had one member buy tickets there. We got 6 hour passes ($89) and night passes ($51) but if you buy in person you can extend your 6 hour pass into night for $22 on the weekend. Felt very scammed. Along with the not capping tickets, lift lines were the longest I’ve waited to get up a hill. The runs are okay for what it is, but not worth waiting 20-30 minutes. It was so saturated with people it was not beginner friendly (not being able to maneuver down a slope without crashing into someone if you couldn’t turn). I’ve also never seen so many people taken down in the sled by ski patrol due to injury. This is not necessarily Cataloochee’s fault, but lift tickets were not being scanned and people could fully get away with not buying a lift pass. The staff was okay. The bartender we interacted with was kind along with the guy in the kitchen taking orders. Other than that, the parking attendants, guest service and rental employees were not very friendly. It was a busy weekend so I understand having little patience but it left a bad impression on our first time at this ski area. I’d avoid on holiday weekends, or after any heavy snow days if you want to enjoy your runs and not worry about collisions.

We went in Feb and it was fake snow on the one mountain. I really enjoyed it especially my son and I are begginging skiers... I found this much higher value than starting in Tahoe CO etc. His kids coach was great! My feedback is that the attendants from registration to boots to ski rental should explain where to go next. It would have made our lives so much easier given we were new and walking in clunky snow boots. One more tip is the shoe locker in the boots rental area was only $7.

Crowds were reasonable on MLK Day, so we did lots of runs in a short amount of time. The weather was perfect (sunny but below freezing so no slush) and snow quality was good. The ski rental process was smooth and we loved that they helped size and fit the boots. The rentable ski pants and coat were also great for my son who will outgrow ski pants before he can wear them again! Nice selection of blue and green slopes for moderate experienced skiers. I do wish they had more indoor seating space and women's bathroom stalls. I also wish they offered some refund for cancellations.

If you're heading to Cataloochee Ski Area, make sure to look for Bake--he's hands down one of the best employees there! From the moment we arrived, Bake made our experience smooth and enjoyable. His knowledge of the slopes, patience with beginners, and friendly attitude really stood out. Whether you're renting gear, asking for advice, or just chatting about the best runs of the day, Bake has you covered. He went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time, even giving us tips on how to improve our snowboarding. It's rare to find someone so passionate and customer-focused these days. If I could give more stars, I would. Thanks, Bake, for making our day at Cataloochee unforgettable!

I don't know why it's at 3 stars. I loved it. First time coming to this resort as a newbie ski-er and I had a blast. Staff was very friendly and food was good. Equipment was in great condition.

What a fun time. First time skiing and we had a blast. Our instructor(male from Peru) was great. Great instructions and patience. Everyone from start to finish was great. Easy check in, picked up equipment in a fair amount of time, and just everyone answering questions. Facilities were dated but it was fun. Lifts moved efficiently. Only negative I see was the price of food and beer. We haven't been to the high end ski resorts but this place is fun and very hospitable. We will be back!

Great smaller East Coast ski resort located in Southern North Carolina. 18 runs and every once in a while they will open up the meadows when they get a lot of snow. Hope to go again when my boy is old enough for ski school.

Overall good first time experience! There should be more signage for new people ( as my group was) to understand the flow of things . Some of the staff was super rude when we asked for directions or questions regarding something. The locker rental should be included in price.

Took my family which included grandparents, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, daughter, and husband to Tube World. The kids were from 3-7 years old so they played in the kids area (Wee Bowl). These Florida kids loved playing in the snow! They loved the little hill the adults pushed them down in tubes. The area was just big enough for all the kids to throw snowballs, build little snowmen and just enjoy the area. There is a fire that many of the adults stood around to keep warm. There is also a food truck with warm drinks heavy snacks to eat. It was definitely a win for our family!

Our Youth Group, FBC Sylvester, visited Cataloochee for our 3rd MLK trip. Much improvements since our visit last year. Group reservation advanced paperwork method was a bit more challenging this time, but Madison answered every email question I had. The extra info collected DID make things move smoother at check in. The most obvious improvement, was the boot station. Much more organized. Although a bit pricier, it was a relief to be able to use plastic for locker rentals. We did have a couple of students that decided to ski at the last minute, who had to purchase tickets at the main ticket counter. Sad to say that the person at the counter was a bit rude to our students. Our group lesson instructors for ski and snowboarding were awesome. Tana was patient and a great instructor. We'll be back MLK weekend 2025!

Great for a family getaway, has enough greens to blacks so you don't get bored. night skiing available, rental check in easy and quick and staff is friendly and happy to help great for beginners.

Season ticket holders were just robbed by Cataloochee management! 3 days ago they announced 23/24 season pass purchasers could snowboard the "rest" of this season and have been repeatedly stating 3/26 (as of yesterday) was this seasons anticipated close date and suddenly closed today. So nearly a month just vanished from what they stated yesterday on their website's snow report that's updated daily! The weather forecast hasn't changed much in 24 hours and think this is just pure greed, wanting to cut staffing, snowmaking expenses as they already collected many season passes. F@$k their icy slopes, muddy parking lots, and room temperature chicken tenders, I'll be taking my business to Beech or Sugar! Beech closed temporarily and Sugar is still open so I think their season passes are a better investment.

Good at the beginning of season and not the best at the end, but they still have great ski patrol and great snow makers and everything great place to ski in the east coast

I love Catalooche ski Area. The fact that there's a ski resort two hours from the city it's amazing. Never had an issue with rental or staff. Most people just want their whole life figured out. Wrong. 5 starts would recommend

This is for Tub World only.Way too small and ice melts and when you slide mud goes on face. A lot of people and not enough ski donuts.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Potentially one of the nicest slopes we have been too. We pre purchased our tickets and the check in was absolutely a breeze. Go to the kiosk in the main lobby down stairs, scan your QR code off your phone and it prints your passes. Go to step two which is your boots and they simply scan your pass and wave you on. No paperwork, upon arriving at the boot section the measure your foot and put your boots on for you, rent a small locker for $5 and stow your shoes and items, slide over to step 3 which is board rental, grab your board and bam you're on the mountain. The staff is super nice and very helpful, different slopes for different experience levels, and lift operators who care about their jobs. Cataloochee ski resort was an absolute blast and I would defiently recommend it to anyone who wants to hit the slopes!

DO NOT RECOMMEND...THIS PLACE IS ABSOLUTE GARBAGE AND NO GOOD...AWFUL EXPERIENCE! My church youth group and I reserved gear 2-3 weeks ahead and after we drove 3 hours up there from Snowbird and waited in the parking lot for an hour they declined us and told us the person who gave reservations no longer worked there. So there for we couldn't go skiing and snowboarding. I do not recommend. The Staff were rude and disrespectful towards everyone and there were more than around 7 more church groups with us. They told us the devastation news after we rented and purchased the bibs and clothing. And awful customer service. Horrible experience and wasted 7 hours of our time. This is awful and disappointing. Date- February 19, 2022 Rating- 0 Stars if I could.

This review applies to TUBE WORLD. Skiing was pretty good and the staff were quite nice but lifts were jammed on a holiday weekend. As long as you bought lift tickets ahead of time, all is good. On the other hand...A few bad apples spoil the bunch. What should have been a great end to a good day turned into a very jarring and disappointing experience. After a day of skiing we went tubing at TubeWorld. On our second run the attendant at the top of the run turned my wife around backwards. She requested very politely to not go down backwards, but they pushed her down that way anyway. My wife is petite and not too adventurous so it's just so out of line to lord your power over a much smaller woman. I missed it because I went down just before her. She was annoyed and upset but we went back again. She got a different attendant next to the one who'd pushed her down backwards. Again we asked politely to just go down feet first. I confronted the first attendant for his behavior..."the ice caused her to turn around." Uh huh...what a jerk. My wife's second attendant made as If he was going to spin her this time. Again she asked not to be spun but to go down feet first. Incredulous, she said, "you wouldn't...please don't". He leered at her and spun her down the hill. Unbelievably poor and dangerous behavior. Despite speaking to the manager I doubt there were any repercussions. So, go at your own risk. Clearly management has hired bad apples and you might get them too. February 20, 2022

Our family visited on MLK day on Jan 21, 2019. This was the first time our family went skiing, though I've been a few times before. I was a bit worried how busy the place would be. The webcam on Sunday Jan 20 showed the place was packed. We even heard it stopped selling lift tickets by noontime. On MLK day, it was not really that crowded. Wait times at the ski lift was just a few minutes. We went with a group and I'd highly recommend going as a group. In addition to getting the group discount, you also get to use the group building where you can store all your stuff for free. Otherwise, you'll have to use the lockers for a small fee. You can bring food into the group building. I didn't see anywhere else you could eat if you brought your own food. We arrived at 9 AM (left Atlanta at 6 AM) and got our equipment (boots, helmet, skis). It takes awhile to get fitted and get your equipment. Plan at least an hour, especially if you have a lot of people in your group. They don't rent goggles or gloves, but there's a store where you can buy them at reasonable prices. There is no cell phone coverage here. But there is free wifi at the lodge. So, was able to do wifi calling/texting on my phone. For group lessons, didn't realize 5 year olds cannot join. Small children must have private lessons, which run $100/hr. So, I decided to just teach my son myself. In front of the main lodge, there is an area for absolute beginners to practice (Wolf Creek Hollow). It's a small hill with a moving sidewalk to get to the top of the hill. However, it's a bit dangerous getting there since it's also the bottom of the lifts for the advanced skiers. So, there's a lot of people skiing fast to get in line. There's another area called Beginner's luck, but they said adults couldn't be in that area. By the afternoon, the family learned enough to be able to ski down the Easy Way trail. They were blowing artificial snow during the entire day. As a beginner skier, I found it difficult to ski in artificial snow. It's more like skiing on ice granules. I can see how some people can view this place negatively. It is a small ski resort. But, this is the South, so can't expect any good skiing places around here. It's a bit chaotic with people leaving skis everywhere, so you need to make sure you remember where you put your equipment when you go inside the building. If you arrive in the afternoon to ski, make sure you arrive well before 1:30 to get all your gear. The restaurant food is a bit expensive, but not outrageous. Food quality is average. Seating is crowded with little room to maneuver. Skiing here can get pricey and I don't think it's really worth it if you have to rent stuff and only do a half-day, which is just 3 hours. There are some reviews about complaints of the staff. However, we found them generally to be helpful. Overall, coming with a group on MLK day and doing an entire day was worth it for us. It's only a 3 hour drive from Atlanta and our family had a fun time for our first time skiing.

I've snowboarded in Colorado my whole life so I've been spoiled with fresh powder and great snow. Coming to the east coast for the first time I was expecting the icy conditions that everyone complains about. However the conditions weren't as bad as I thought they would be and the runs are fun considering they don't have a lot of mountain to work with. About halfway through the day, they set up a park with a couple rails which was a nice touch! The staff was friendly here and overall I had a great time at Cataloochee! If you can handle a bit of ice and enjoy a nice chill place to go down a mountain then Cataloochee is a great place to visit!

12/ 17 Small ski resort, nothing fancy, nor alot of people which we like!! All the staff were kind and friendly when I asked questions. It was raining and the wind was blowing, so I opted to not take ski lessons that day. I will return in Jan/ Feb once there is more snow and the conditions are better. But here are a few pics, they did have lots of people that day taking lessons...This is a great place for all beginners, if you want more keep it movin. Ive lived in Alaska and Germany, so Im Ok with small! Folks will find anything to complain about! I will update my review at a later date...

Not very worth it to spend more than one trip here in your entire life, and only if you have no other options. Prices are comparable to other ski resorts in the area. Lines were actually not that bad, although it can be very disorganized for the rides for the lift. Only two trails were open, not a lot available for both experienced or beginner skiers. Surprisingly getting rental equipment wasn't as tedious as other reviews made it seem. Skiing in the northern states would probably be much more worth it overall.

Don't waste your time trying to get private ski lessons here. They will not take reservations and say it's first come first serve on day your are skiing. We're told the ticket office (where you get your private lesson appointment) opened at 7:30am. We were in line at 7:45 and were told we were number 6 at that time on waitlist. Several times late morning and early afternoon I checked on our progress. At 12:00 I was told there were still 4 people in front of us and by 1:00 that number was three people. We never received a call or email - please don't waste your time.

Good information desk that answered all of my questions. Staff to get all the gear was very friendly and extremely helpful with all the questions we had. Would definitely come again.

They ripped us off. Spent $340 on lift passes and rentals but didnt get to use them, and so they they just kept the money. After buying these, we waited in a giant line for rentals only to discover they did not have the right size for my daughter, so we couldn't ski. Tried to get a refund not 5 minutes after learning this, and they said a manager would have to review and would get back with me. Never heard anything. Have left several voicemail's, but they wont even return my calls. i did not ride the lift. i did not use their slopes. i did not put on a single piece of rental equipment. i took almost none of the staff's time. Yet they felt just fine about keeping $340 of mine.

Over all we enjoyed ourselves and are likely to return. If you want to go in the morning session, be sure to reserve in advance. We arrived an hour early and were turned around due to them being sold out. We were able to kill some time and return for the evening session. Since we had booked online, chocking in was pretty easy. The process/ flow for how to get rented gear could be better. They had us get our boots and helmet first, then ski equipment and lastly our bibs and jackets. So had a lot of stuff to lug around and back inside another building. It is nice that they have all of these items for rent since this was a spontaneous trip and we are unlikely to use any of the gear often. Once we were fully suited, we arrived 15 minutes early as directed for our privet lesson...25 minutes later we were greeted by our instructor. He was friendly and had some great stories and basics. After our 1 hour we were far from ready for the lift/ mountain. I will say the "bunny" slope was mostly ice, and seeing as the mountain was more powder- that may have been easier to work with it. We plan to go back for another lesson and hopefully feel comfortable enough to take on the lift!

Place is extremely unorganized. Got our lift tickets and went to go get rentals only to realize we had to pay for the rentals with the lift tickets. NO SIGNS FOR THIS. Wasted an hour during this. Then had to get back in the rental line...which nothing is together. Boots are in one hut. Skis in another across the street. It's complete chaos. After getting through a 2 hour mayhem we final hit the slopes...what a cluster. After 2 runs we decided to get lunch and a beer. NO BEER served here. Not only that you have to download this app to order lunch. No problem right...wrong. There WiFi is garbage. Wasted an hour and then when we got our food it was not worth the wait. When we left it was like a mud pit at base camp. Bring your boots cause they will be covered in $hit by the time you leave. Expect to take some of it in your car. Bring a towel. You'll thank me later. I know coming here isn't like skiing/snowboarding in the Rockies...but my overall experience was just poor. I would definitely reconsider before I spend any money here again.

This place is just a tourist trap! First of all Ive never seen lockers that require you to PAY AGAIN every time you open the door. Hard to get change too. Nasty and unkept. The place has horrible bathroom and were the nastiest Ive ever seen. One stall in each bathroom for men. No supplies, locks that don't work, and smells of urine. The food had to ordered online only using an app. Then the wifi there is terrible. Then I was so glad to finally get my chicken strips I grabbed it and went to sot down. I was shorted an item. When I complained they just pointed to the sign that says "check you order before walking away from the counter. Hmmm. Something tells me this is a common occurrence. SO UNORGANIZED! Staff is rude and NOT helpful. We had our reservation number but we has to go back and get ID out if the locker before we could get out life ticket. REALLY people? Parking was a nightmare. Muddy, The snow was ice. Just ice. The "learning" are is so small there is very little opportunity to teach new learners or children.

Wow-what a great ski resort - we purchased our tickets/ ski and snowboard rental the night before on online. Upon arriving everything went so smooth from parking to getting tickets and rentals. They were enforcing mask and covid procedures - obviously if you're skiing you can take the mask off but once your down the mountain you must wear your mask. Their were medics around making sure people wore mask & were also handing out the mask in case you lost yours. 3 lifts one for beginners - intermediate level - experienced, the lines got semi-packed but moved quickly. Foodservice is a touchless ordering system, you scan the bar code and order your food from a mobile device or from the downstairs computers they offer **their is no signal*** so you have to connect to their WiFi -They have the password on the board by the food. This place was really fun and special in it's own way.

Things I liked: easy to get rental gear, beautiful scenery, and easy access for the east coast community. Decent slopes, but not enough space for the beginners with the capacity they support daily. COVID Cons: way too overcrowded... and the lift attendants only enforce covid rules for visitors it would seem. There were kids (with unlimited passes) in front of us in line for the lift with no masks, and to make it worse they were spitting in the snow and throwing snowballs at the lift attendant WHILE he was working today. The attendant was even throwing snowballs back. They also let regulars skip the lift lines. It didn't feel like they were offering reduced capacity at all, and were selective with covid rules. I saw ski patrol enforcing mask rules for some and not others. They did offer to provide a mask to those who did not have their own. The lockers are aggravating as well. It's a single use only with quarters system. It's really annoying when you want to access your belongings, but have to pay $0.75 every time you want to open the locker. We ended up just leaving it unlocked throughout the day since we only had shoes and water stored. If you drive, it might be better to use your vehicle, but know you might have to trek to get there. If you want a decent meal, it's worth packing a lunch and snacks, or just driving down into the valley to grub. Overall it's a smaller venue, offers little in the way of green trails and learning spaces for first timers. It's also incredibly difficult to get to some of the green slopes and because the trails are not clearly marked, it's easy to accidentally end up on a much harder slope than expected. I don't really see myself returning.

Horrible customer service, save your money and go to a better ski area. They gave me a call-back-number that was impossible to reach, spent 6+ months trying to reach this extension, no success!

Our daughter and grandkids visited last week and the kids wanted to try snowboarding. We called numerous times and no one ever answered phone. All we wanted was info on classes, ski runs open etc. website showed 4 runs open with good man made snow. They took a chance and drive the 1-1/2 hrs only to find that one hill was open, the snow was pretty much non existent and the crowds of people trying to ski etc was crazy. They turned around and drive 1-1/2 hrs back.

Great spot, friendly staff, I will definitely be coming back again! The staff always had a smile on their face! The people boarding and skiing weren't super rude if you were new to winter sports. Most places with artificial snow it's hard and icy here it was fairly soft and I had no bruises or anything from falling (trust me I did plenty of falling too).

Friendly staff efficient flow through lines. Safe. Bathroom and good snacks on premises.

This is a two part review. Will update after I visit second part. 1. tube world was fun. It wasn't crowded which was good. The tubes are in good shape and it's fun. However I found it funny that everyone who took photos before and after us has their photo on the computer but ours were not. So manager at Tube world If you find the photos of the African Americans from Saturday 12/21 around 10:30 am I would like them. She said they might have been deleted. Umm why because they folks In the photo were of color 2. Ski area is nice people are friendly. But people come to really ski. I was like whew but I handled it well.

This is a good spot to learn/beginner. The two open runs are pretty short. They make their own snow so a lot of it was icy. I wish they had an longer easy run for the brand new people/ kids. Kids can go from a tiny area to one with all the adults.

We met friends here on Saturday. They had been here before, but we had not. We stopped by the Cataloochee Ski and Sports location in Maggie Valley on the way in to get our lift tickets and one set of ski boots. I'm really glad we did as this saved us from the long lines at the lodge. The parking lot was very muddy from recent snow / rain. There was no gravel to be seen. There is a steep hill that you have to walk down from the parking to get to the ski lodge. This wasn't too bad until later when we had to walk back up that hill with tired legs. Plan for your car to get muddy inside and out. By the middle of the day the ski lifts were overwhelmed with skiers. The lines were very long and the entire area at the bottom was chaotic. There are clearly not enough ski lifts for the amount of lift tickets they are selling. The slopes were in good condition and they were not making snow which made the actual skiing part quite enjoyable. Unfortunately this didn't make up for the hassle of getting back to the top. The food in the lodge was pretty good. They were doing o good job of moving people along. The prices were high, as we expected they would be, but everything was piping hot. The dining area was also chaotic and lots of people were leaving their personal items all over the tables so it was difficult to find a place to eat. We would not return here even if it was free.

Great time and much better conditions than expected! Easy check in and equipment rental. Probably the most efficient process as I've ever been through in over 20 years. I would recommend this ski area over some in New Mexico. The staff were also very friendly and helpful!

This place is an absolute joke. Our boards were stolen so we talk to ski patrol they say go to info desk so we did and we asked to see cameras cause we have info on where abouts our boards went well they wouldn't let us see the cameras and the manager said the IT guy Al doesn't get there til 4pm so I asked the police if that was true and he said no they have no IT guy they see cameras up there all the time so the police said that was a lie and then they wouldn't help us at all for it we had info a guy in a maroon Nissan came in and grabbed 2 lib tech boards where ours was so we just wanted to see cameras one time to see we know the time limit and all. This place is the absolute worst mountain I have ever been on and I will not be going back! A pro snowboarder said it's the most unprofessional mountain he has ever been to this place is trash!

WORST SKI EXPERIENCE EVER. Seriously read all my points before spending any of your hard earned money on this TRASH. 1. SO UNORGANIZED! There are no signs to guide you. You have to wait in random lines to get what you need only to realize you've started your wait in the wrong line, and have to start from scratch. 2. The staff is a joke. In fact, couldn't spot one to help you out or answer questions. You're on your own here folks. Never skied or boarded before? Don't expect a run down or any tips from the employees of this establishment. You'll have to purchase a full on lesson to get answers to a few beginner questions. 3. After waiting in lines for over 2 hours you are gifted with the continued unorganized chaos of the ski lift lines. No help, no signs, no idea which lift takes you to which slope. 4. FOOD. Hoping for a beer or cocktail? Forget it they don't have it. Wanting to sit down inside to eat in warmth? Hope you like eating on the floor or standing in your uncomfortable rental shoes. You have to download an app to place your order which is next to impossible because the WiFi is an abomination. The food is pricey and resembles cafeteria food from a public high school. 5. Lastly, the rudest man who ever existed will verbally assault and crucify you if your mask game isn't on point. I was drinking a coffee and trying to make a phone call when an older man approached me in such a rude manner to remind me (as hostile and power hungry as possible) that masks were required. I apologized and put my mask back on as I knew I was in the wrong. He came back around and stared at me-prompting me to tell him that I had my mask on like he requested. He then looked at my friend who's mask had slid down under her nose just a bit, and told her she needed to fix her mask and needed to wear it properly. All of this would have been fine but other patrons were maskless around us. When my friend pointed that out he moved in close to her face ( 1. Not respecting social distancing and 2. Hoping to intimidate) asked her how people were supposed to eat and drink with a mask on.. we were eating and drinking mind you. She said it was his demeanor that she didn't like. He told her that he didn't like people who couldn't follow the rules. Just very uncomfortable and unbelievably rude. We visited on 02/06/2021. This man needs to be talked to. He was tall, older, gray hair, hostile, and unnecessary. It's not okay to purposefully try to intimidate women. Get it together. There's a way to go about everything with decency. Don't come here people. Spend a little bit more and go to Beach Mountain or another establishment for a genuinely happy experience.

Complete tourist TRAP!!!! If you want to wait in line for hours and hours and never get on the mountain.. this is it. Understandingly so during the holidays it was crazy busy. Hundreds, if not thousands of people in line. Waited two hours to pay for lift tickets and rentals. The line to actually get the rentals was even longer. We got there at 10am, waited at 1pm with no end in sight finally got a refund for the $600 we spent for tickets/ rentals for the family. This ski resort had no problem taking your money but also had no way or organization to accommodate that many guests. Our family wasted the entire vacation day and filled with such disappointment.

Fun but NOT family friendly. We went for two days and encountered 1.5 helpful staff. Most workers were rude at best: grumbling, moving slow/ not eager to help, ignore you, vaping and smoking with lift riders (their friends). Music at exit lifts was very explicit. Skiing was fine, nothing amazing.

We drove from Gatlinburg because they weren't making snow due to warm weather. Cataloochee Ski Area had 4 runs open. It was busy because they were one of the few places open but it was fun. Good small ski area. Snowboards allowed. Fairly easy to get to and parking was free and easy in and out. Food and selection at the lodge wasn't spectacular and could use some improvements.

2-3 hours to even begin to ski... first, we stood in an hour long line of ALREADY PURCHASED online tickets..... then a 45 min line for the ski boots..... then another 1 hour + line for skis..... there needs to be a better system. I heard the ordering food mission was well a MISSION! Kids had a great time on the slopes.... however, it's hard to get past being there at 9 and not being able to ski until 12!

This is a warning to all skier's using Chataloochee's online reservation system. I would absolutely not use it if I were you. Once you have placed your order, you are out the money no matter what. We used the online system for 2 lift tickets and ski rental for my daughter after reading that they had limited spaces due to Covid policies. After reservation, we needed to change the date of the reservation due to changes outside of our control. I called 8 times over the course of two weeks during normal business hours and never once did anyone answer the phone. I left a message 4 times, no one ever called back. Two days BEFORE my reservation I put through a credit card dispute hoping someone would call me. Two weeks after the reservation date, I got a letter from Travis Worrell, Assistant Ski Manager with a copy of the fine print of the online reservation showing "NO REFUNDS, EXCHANGES, DATE CHANGES OR TRANSFERS FOR ANY REASON." I guess he was legally are entitled to my money, but that doesn't make it right. It was a $150 mistake I will not make again.

Reasonably prices, friendly staff, & decent slopes. I recommend staying in Waynesville vs Maggie valley.

My husband and I spent hours skiing here and enjoyed every minute! We rented equipment and snow pants. Just a tip - they ran short of smaller adult-size pants and only had XL by the time we arrived, so I rented a kids XL instead of adult S and this worked just fine. Many families were skiing and the mix of adults and kids made me (a first-time skier) feel more comfortable. They offer lessons, but we started instead by just riding the conveyer-belt style rubber mat up the beginner slope to practice keeping our balance and stopping. We did this a few times, then graduated to the next two slopes. If you fall, it's ok - many people do! You get better very quickly. If two Floridians can do it, anyone can.

This review is for Tube World only. Some pros: easily accessible from road; easy to find; smaller crowds; reasonably priced. Some cons: after a few runs, the tracks just became pure ice, making your trips downhill just incredibly too fast; gravel at end of run just doesn't offer a safe experience; mud holes at end of runs made it feel like you were hitting pot holes in the road with your car, I hurt my back bouncing in a mud hole. Just didn't feel safe after about 5 trips downhill. We wrapped our trip up early, and we weren't the only ones. Just not my favorite place to snow tube, so we'll go elsewhere the next time we feel like tubing.

So much fun skiing. I don't know how other places are but this was great for my first time.

Messed my leg up and still had a good time. Well priced for the snowboard rental but it was a little thicker than anticipated.

We called the office and asked if we should purchase everything online or just come down since we needed everything (lift tickets, skis, pants, etc.). Lady on the phone told us it was easier to just come down and do it in perosn. We get there, completely sold out, manager claims he trained everyone there so they'd of never said that. Sent us away. Absolutely would never ski here. Management is awful.

We went snow tubing this morning. We had fun - the lanes were particularly fast. But we were disappointed that none of the employees manning the lanes were wearing masks. And most weren't particularly friendly.