While you probably won’t be sending your kids down any triple-black-diamond slopes, ski resorts throughout North Carolina have a host of activities geared toward children. Resorts lie in the Tar Heel State’s western region, within the Great Smoky, Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains. Winter season typically runs between late November and March.
Tucked away in the state’s northwest corner, Avery County is home to three major ski resorts, including Sugar Mountain Resort. Nestled in the village of Sugar Mountain, the resort has a host of winter activities for kids, such as a multilane tubing park and a 10,000-square-foot outdoor skating rink. The resort also hosts Sugar Bear Ski and Polar Bear Snowboard schools, which provides skiing and snowboarding lessons to children, ages 5 to 10 and 7 to 14, respectively. Special events are held throughout the year, including skiing with Santa sessions, Easter egg hunts on the slopes and SugarFest, a December festival complete with fireworks, appearances by costumed characters and live music.
Also in Avery County, Appalachian Ski Mtn. is in Blowing Rock. The resort provides the daily Ski Wee program, ski lessons for kids between the ages of 4 and 10. Cruiser Camp is held on the weekends and is designed for snowboarders, ages 7 through 12. Lessons include slope tickets, equipment rentals and instruction. During this same time period, the resort has an outdoor skating rink that has rental skates for those as young as infants. The on-site lodge has a video game room for its smallest guests and the nearby village of Blowing Rock is home to candy stores, ice cream shops and a playground.
Beech Mountain Resort, the third of Avery County’s resorts, provides all-day skiing lessons for kids ages 4 through 14 and snowboarding classes for children ages 8 to 14. The all-day event includes snacks at break time and lunch. The resort also has a nursery for toddlers and infants as young as 6 months. The service includes meals, toys and games from the comfort of a large play area.
Tucked away near North Carolina’s western border in the small mountain town of Maggie Valley is the Cataloochee Ski Area. The resort provides a host of kid-friendly programming, including ski lessons for kids as young as 6 and snowboarding lessons for children 4 and up. The resort also has racing teams for middle and high school students and adaptive skiing programs for kids with physical or mental disabilities.
Based in Mars Hill, Wolf Ridge Resort is also in the far western region of North Carolina. The resort has an inner tube run where kids 5 and under ride for free when with an adult. Private skiing or snowboarding lessons are available for those 5 and older. The resort also has rental homes with access to an on-site playground and glass-enclosed indoor swimming pool with a water slide.
Sapphire Valley Ski Area is in the state’s southern region. The resort has a learn-to-ski program for preschool and school-age children on the mountain’s beginner’s slope. There’s also a tubing park with 700-foot-long runs and a private room for kid’s birthday parties.
