skiing, southeast, Top 5
Photo Credit: The Mississippi Gift Company

Skiing in the southeast?

That’s right there are a few ski areas in Appalachia believe it or not…

From North Carolina to West Virginia and everything in between, skiing in the south might be covered in camo but these ski areas include some very genuine outcroppings of ski culture where it ought not be.

That said, here are the Top 5 Ski Areas in the southeast.

5) Wintergreen, Virginia

Wintergreen
Photo Credit: wintergreenresort.com

Located just an hour outside of Charlottesville in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, Wintergreen resort is the premiere ski resort in Virginia. Included at the resort are 32 runs, a terrain park, and 5 chair lifts. The resort tops out at an elevation just above 4,000 ft., providing for a vertical drop of 1000 ft.

Mountain Stats:

Vertical Drop: 1,000ft.

Lifts: 5

Trails: 32

Night Skiing: Yes

4) Beech Mountain, North Carolina

Beech, North Carolina
Photo Credit: beechmountainresort.com

Now we’re getting south of the mason-dixon… Beech Mountain is considered the big boy ski resort of North Carolina. Also, the town of Beech Mountain is the highest town east of the Rocky Mountain at an elevation of 5,506 ft. The mountain itself is pretty much the same as its southern neighbors with low angle but carvable slopes whose vertical drop is just short of 1k at 860 ft.

Note: I’ve skied Southern Star and although it would be considered a green/blue at Jackson, it serves up tons of fun as you shred next to dayglo beanie wearing deer hunters from western North Carolina.

Mountain Stats:

Vertical Drop: 860 ft.

Lifts: 7

Trails: 16

Night Skiing: Yes

3) Ober Gatilinburg, Tennessee

Gatlinburg, Tennessee, skiing
Photo Credit: Rodhullandemu via Wikimedia Commons

Now this one has a special place in my heart. Although I’ve never skied Gatlinburg, its roller coasters that surround the ski area lie just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is a sight to behold. Also, getting to the ski area requires riding an aerial tram over 2 miles to the base of the ski hill, which rises up another 600+ ft. to the top of the ski area. Who woulda thought?

Plus, if you’re looking to get a little redneck culture with your skiing, this is the place to do it.

Mountain Stats:

Vertical Drop: 600+ ft. 

Lifts: 3

Trails: 10

Night Skiing: Yes

2) Sugar Mountain, North Carolina

North Carolina, skiing
Photo Credit: Mark Clifton via Wikimedia Commons

Sugar Mountain is pretty out there. Located in a village that retains a population of approximately 240 people, the area is what most people would call remote. That said, Sugar Mountain has some of the steepest terrain in the south and such pitches in the south are rare if existent in the first place.

Mountain Stats:

Vertical Drop: 1,200 ft.

Lifts: 7

Trails: 21

Night Skiing: Yes

1) Snowshoe, West Virginia

Snowshoe, West Virginia, skiing
Photo Credit: Marvin Kuo via Wikimedia Commons

Snowshoe is the powder capital of the South. It’s tree runs can at times be ALL TIME. Especially this past year, Snowshoe saw its fair share of deep days and boasts the most vertical on this list with a reported 1,500 ft drop to the base.

Mountain Stats:

Vertical Drop: 1,500 ft.

Lifts: 6

Trails: 18

Night Skiing: Yes

Want Proof That Snowshoe is Sick? 

Watch this video from last winter: West Virginia has better skiing than Tahoe right now…

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