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Sugar Mountain
Banner Elk, North Carolina

(Click here for the official web site for Sugar Mountain, or scroll below to read DCSki's complete profile...)

[Resort Overview]  [Summer Activities]  [Statistics]
[Trail Map]  [Current Conditions]  [Webcams]
[Related News]  [Upcoming Events]  [Reader Comments]

Resort Overview - reported by M. Scott Smith, DCSki Editor

Photo provided by John Sherwood.
With its 1,200-foot vertical, Sugar Mountain is the largest ski resort south of West Virginia, and one of few resorts breaking a 1,000-foot vertical south of New England. The mountain is located in Banner Elk, North Carolina — a 7-hour drive from D.C., but less than three from Charlotte, Knoxville, and Winston-Salem, and a little over four hours from Atlanta. For DCSki’s growing southern readership, Sugar delivers a big mountain experience close to home.

The mountain offers skiers and boarders trails spread out over 115 acres. The lower mountain features graceful groomers, perfect for lower intermediates. The summit, however, will surprise even seasoned experts with several narrow, expert trails sporting 60-percent pitches. Snowboarders are allowed on all trails and the resort offers a 700-foot tubing run with its own lift. Sugar receives over 60 inches of natural snow annually, which is supplemented with 100 percent snowmaking.

In 2007, Sugar Mountain also added a 10,000 square foot refrigerated, outdoor ice skating rank. In 2008, Sugar Mountain invested $300,000 in snowmaking improvements.

There are approximately 1,000 beds located in condos on the mountain and another 10,000 beds located within 15 miles of the resort.

Summer Activities

Sugar Mountain Resort and the nearby Sugar Mountain Village feature golf, mountain biking, river rafting, tennis, and hiking during the warmer months. Nearby attractions include Grandfather Mountain, Blowing Rock, and the Pigsah National Forest.

Each summer, the resort sponsors the Showdown at Sugar Mountain Bike Competition & Festival, one of 23 American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC) events held each year throughout the country.

Statistics

Resort Name:
 Sugar Mountain
Vertical Drop:
 1,200 feet
Base Elevation:
 4,100 feet
Peak Elevation:
 5,300 feet
Trails:
 20 (40% beginner, 40% intermediate, 20% advanced)
Skiable Acres:
 115
Longest Run:
 1.5 miles
Lift Capacity:
 8,800 per hour
Chairlifts:
 7 (1 triple, 4 doubles, 2 surface lifts)
Night Skiing:
 Yes, on 15 slopes (100 acres), or about 90% of the area
Terrain Park:
 Yes
Halfpipe:
 (No halfpipe)
Tubing Park:
 700-foot tubing runs
Address:
 P.O. Box 369
Banner Elk, NC 28604
Phone Number:
 (828) 898-4521
Web Site:
 http://www.skisugar.com/

Estimated Distances from Major Cities

Baltimore, MD8 hours 466 miles
Washington, DC7 hours, 20 minutes 431 miles
Arlington, VA7 hours, 20 minutes 429 miles
Richmond, VA5 hours, 50 minutes 333 miles
Pittsburgh, PA7 hours, 20 minutes 439 miles
Harrisburg, PA8 hours, 10 minutes 486 miles
Philadelphia, PA9 hours, 45 minutes 568 miles
Charleston, WV4 hours, 25 minutes 255 miles
Raleigh, NC3 hours, 50 minutes 210 miles
Charlotte, NC2 hours, 20 minutes 111 miles

 

Trail Map

To view a full-size trail map for Sugar Mountain, click on the following thumbnail image. The trail map will open in a new window. Please note that DCSki's trail maps can be out of date; always pick up a copy of the latest trail map at each resort.

Current Conditions

A snow condition report for Sugar Mountain is shown below. Because condition reports may not be updated regularly, be sure to check the date and timestamp on the report. Before making a trip, we recommend contacting resorts directly for the latest conditions.

    Sugar Mountain, NC
    As of 17:27:00 on 2010-03-28
    Report data is over 2 days old -- please check back later.

To view additional ski condition reports for areas throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and across the world, visit the DCSki Conditions page.

Webcams

Sugar Mountain has an official webcam page here.

Related News

The past five articles related to Sugar Mountain are shown below.

    Mid-Atlantic Ski Season Kicks Off, with Help from Mother Nature (December 6, 2009)
    The return of colder temperatures has allowed mid-Atlantic ski areas to fire up the guns, and Mother Nature helped kick off the festivities with some natural snow. Several resorts in the mid-Atlantic are now open for skiing and boarding, with more expected to come on-line soon.
    (1 reader comment)

    What’s New for 2009: Sugar Mountain Resort (November 7, 2009)
    North Carolina’s Sugar Mountain Resort made improvements to snowmaking over the summer, replacing and upgrading 2,500 feet of snowmaking pipes along the Big Birch slope and purchasing an additional energy-efficient snowmaking machine.

    North Carolina’s Sugar Mountain Opens (November 17, 2008)
    A dip in temperatures this past weekend allowed North Carolina’s Sugar Mountain Resort to fire up its guns, and it made enough snow to launch its season at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 17, 2008.

    What’s New for 2008: Sugar Mountain Resort (September 30, 2008)
    Minor snowmaking upgrades highlight improvements at North Carolina’s Sugar Mountain Resort this winter.

    Who’s Open? A Detailed Look at Mid-Atlantic Ski Areas (March 17, 2008)
    Spring is a mixed blessing: Mid-Atlantic resorts begin to close one by one, but the weather is nice and the rates can’t be beat. DCSki provides a detailed look at the current operating status of Mid-Atlantic ski areas.

To view more articles related to Sugar Mountain, click here.

Upcoming Events

The DCSki Event Schedule currently doesn't have any events listed for Sugar Mountain. To view events at other resorts, please visit the DCSki Event Schedule.

Related Bargains

The following bargains are related to Sugar Mountain.

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To view more bargains, click here. Remember, bargains may include exclusions or expirations not noted here. Contact the company offering the bargain to verify details.

Reader Comments

The views and opinions expressed in DCSki Article Comments are strictly those of the comment authors and have not been reviewed or approved by DCSki. If you believe a comment is inaccurate or inappropriate, please contact DCSki's Editor.

Comments on Sugar Mountain - posted by Dana
February 2 at 11:37 am
I have been going to Sugar Mountain Resort for years, however I will not be going again. I was overcharged for by their Ski School for a group lesson (done as moral support for a friend who had never skied before) and have experienced the WORST customer service trying to resolve the issue. They refuse to refund the overcharge and have been quite rude in the process. I did exactly as instructed to get the situation resolved, yet they will not refund my money.

I had planned to make 3 more trips this year (and make several trips each ski season) to this resort, but this is enough to make me change plans. I'll happily take my money and my friends (and their money) to a competitor resort. I'd recommend that everyone DOUBLE CHECK THEIR RECEIPTS at this resort. I was not the only one that day that was overcharged. A man was overchared for his daughter's lesson and when he realized it and tried to get a refund, they refused him. He tore up his ticket and threw it at the sales girl (not the best reaction, but he was furious at their lack of concern). I should've taken the hint after seeing this display...I actually felt bad for the sales girl who turned right around and over-charged me. I hope this is not a common practice for them - bad business!
 

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