| Vertical drop: | 830 feet |
| Base elevation: | 4,675 feet |
| Peak elevation: | 5,506 feet |
| Skiable acres: | 95 |
| Longest run: | 5,280 feet |
| Trails: | 17 |
At 5,506 feet above sea level, Beech Mountain is the highest ski resort on the East Coast. Beech is also one of the coldest spots in the southeast, with an average snowfall of 70 inches. That helps Beech be one of the first ski areas to open in the region each winter. Beech has been in operation for over 50 years.
Founded in 1964 by Dr. Thomas Brigham, who also developed West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Beech offers 17 total trails and an 830-foot vertical. The resort also features an ice skating rink, a snow tubing area, and a terrain park.
Over the past several years, Beech Mountain has been in the process of upgrading its snowmaking system. During the summer of 2021, Beech Mountain added two high-performance pumps and increased its total of new high-tech snow guns to 85, bringing overall snowmaking capacity to 5,000 gallons of water per minute. During 2021, the resort also made significant enhancements to its base area, creating a park-like setting with new outdoor spaces for guests to interact and relax.
Beech is located near Banner Elk, North Carolina, a two and a half hour drive from Charlotte. At the mountain there are hundreds of privately owned chalets, townhouses, condominiums, inns, and a bed and breakfast. More restaurants and accommodations can be found in nearby Banner Elk.
Photo provided by Beech Mountain.
| Resort Name: | Beech Mountain |
| Vertical Drop: | 830 feet |
| Base Altitude: | 4,675 feet |
| Peak Altitude: | 5,506 feet |
| Trails: | 17 Trails:
|
| Skiable Acres: | 95 |
| Longest Run: | 5,280 feet |
| Lifts: | 8 (3 quads, 3 doubles, 1 magic carpet, 1 rope tow) |
| Night Skiing: | Yes, on 100% of terrain |
| Terrain Park: | One terrain park |
| Tubing Park: | Yes |
| Address: | 1007 Beech Mountain Parkway Beech Mountain, NC 28604 |
| Phone: | (800) 438-2093 |
| Social Media: |   |
| Webcams: | View resort webcams |
| Web Site: | https://www.beechmountainresort.com |
| Directions: | Via Google Maps |
| Humidity: | 84% | Visibility: | 10.00 |
| Wind Speed: | 0 mph | Sunrise: | 6:53 a.m. |
| Barometer: | 30.27 in | Sunset: | 5:29 p.m. |
| Dewpoint: | 33 °F |
Weather supplied by the National Weather Service. Errors or reporting delays may be possible.
December 16, 2024 - The majority of ski resorts in the Mid-Atlantic region are now open for the 2024-2025 winter season, with a variety of trails available for early-season skiing and snowboarding. Additional resorts are set to open in the coming days, supported by snowmaking efforts and natural snowfall. Above, Pennsylvania’s Roundtop Mountain began its 60th season on December 14, 2024. Photo provided by Haley Mowery / Roundtop Mountain.
December 1, 2024 - An arctic air mass has brought ideal snowmaking conditions to the Mid-Atlantic, enabling resorts across the region to prepare for their winter season openings, with many planning to open in early December. Resorts like Seven Springs, Wisp, Snowshoe, and Timberline Mountain are leading the charge, while others are building their bases for upcoming announcements. Photo by Heidi Lews / Hidden Valley Resort.
November 29, 2023 - The recent stretch of cold temperatures has enabled robust snowmaking across the Mid-Atlantic region, and as a result, a handful of ski resorts across Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia plan to open in the coming days. In North Carolina, two ski areas have already opened for the season. In this story, we provide a look at official opening day plans shared by resorts as of November 29, 2023.
November 26, 2023 - The sound of snowguns began ringing out across the Mid-Atlantic region in recent days, as post-Thanksgiving temperatures dipped below freezing. With the nighttime mercury dropping into the 20s in the coming days, the symphony of snowguns should continue as local resorts prepare for their season openings. DCSki provides a gallery of snowmaking photos from across the region and explains how the technology works. Above, snowguns begin to blanket the slopes of Seven Springs Mountain Resort on November 25, 2023.
November 27, 2022 - Below average temperatures in November have enabled a variety of ski areas across the entire Mid-Atlantic region to open for the season, giving skiers one extra thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
January 7, 2022 - The second half of December wasn’t ideal for Mid-Atlantic ski areas: cold temperatures from early in the season yielded to unseasonably (and, to skiers, unreasonably) mild days. As the calendar advanced from December to January, that’s all changed. DCSki provides a roundup of the latest conditions at local ski resorts.
December 1, 2021 - The Mid-Atlantic ski season is already underway, and additional ski areas are scheduled to come on-line the weekend of December 4-5. DCSki presents a complete roundup of open — and soon-to-open — ski areas in this December 1, 2021 update. Above, Pennsylvania’s Seven Springs Resort has been laying down snow in preparation for a December 4 opening.
November 26, 2021 - The base village has transformed into a park-like plaza.
February 15, 2021 - Woody Bousquet had planned to spend this winter skiing north of the Mason-Dixon Line. COVID-19 changed his plans, and he found himself planning a week-long trip south, hitting 7 classic southeastern ski areas in 7 days. He chronicled his road trip in this Firsthand Report.
September 1, 2019 - Thanks to a partnership between North Carolina’s Lees-McRae College and nearby Beech Mountain Resort, students can now earn a minor degree in Ski Industry Business and Instruction.
