There’s no shortage of outdoor entertainment and exciting amenities in the Eagles Nest area all year round! With snowfall here in Banner Elk averaging about 42 inches per year, paired with 204 days of sunshine, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a winter wonderland — right in your very own backyard. Best of all, our very own Banner Elk is the only town in North Carolina with two incredible ski resorts!

In this month’s edition, we’re sharing our favorite ways to enjoy snow days, from skiing to snow tubing and so much more.

Try Some Winter Tubing

Banner Elk snow tubing is tons of fun for the whole family — and luckily, there are plenty of local spots to spend the day. Hawksnest Snow Tubing in Seven Devils is just a short 20-minute drive from Banner Elk, and is rated as North Carolina’s top tubing experience by TripAdvisor. As the largest snow tubing park on the East Coast, it features 30 lanes of tubing from 400 to 1,000 feet long. With different snow tubing areas for various terrains and levels, it’s designed for the entire family to enjoy.

Just about a 15-minute drive from Eagles Nest sits the famed Sugar Mountain Ski Resort. Book a 2-hour tubing session and take the entire family down 700-ft lanes of fun. With lights for night tubing and well-groomed lanes, it’s the perfect way to spend some time outside this season!

Take your whole crew on a short 20-minute drive from our mountain paradise and discover the winter sports that wait for you at Beech Mountain Resort. With a state-of-the-art snow tubing park right next to their ice skating rink in the acclaimed ski resort village, there’s no better way to spend a winter day. Featuring 6-8 lanes that stretch to 750 feet long, plus a Magic Carpet conveyor lift that quickly takes tubers back to the top, kids and adults alike will have tons of fun. While you’re there, don’t miss Beech Mountain’s other winter wonderland activities including snowboarding or a stroll around Alpine Village where you’ll find a brewery, gift shops, a ski school, and more.

Hit the Slopes at Local Ski Spots

North Carolina is famous for its stunning skiing options — and Banner Elk conveniently sits right in between Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain! Ski season in Banner Elk generally begins in November or early December, with prime conditions from January through March — so start planning your visit now.

Sugar Mountain offers ski and snowboarding schools, plus slopes for all skiers from novice to expert. If you’re looking for some adult-friendly skiing time, be sure to check out their convenient childcare options right on-site, too.

Back at Beech Mountain Resort, you’ll find 17 slopes on 98 skiable acres with runs for every kind of skier. As the highest ski area in the eastern United States, it features a vertical drop of 830 feet and is known as one of the premier winter sports destinations in the country.

Take a scenic 40-minute from Eagles Nest drive over to Appalachian Ski Mountain, where you’ll find fresh skiing conditions all season long! Learn to ski or snowboard at the Southeast’s oldest and best ski school, The French-Swiss Ski College, or bring the kids for a wide array of winter programs and lessons they’ll love.

Explore Even More Winter Fun

Beyond tubing and skiing, the Eagles Nest area offers an array of unique outdoor activities! Grab a sled, build a snowman, or make snow angels right in your very own backyard.

Kick up the adrenaline with a trip on the Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster, where you’ll take a through the NC mountains on a family-friendly coaster that winds through the forest. About a 15-minute drive from Eagles Nest, it’s a unique and convenient way to spend a winter afternoon.

If you want to explore the stunning snowy surroundings on foot, head back to Beech Mountain and check out their exclusive snowshoeing trails. With difficulty levels ranging from easy to moderate to strenuous, it’s a great way to kick up your cardio and embark on a nature hike like never before. Don’t miss their popular youth sledding hill, too!

There’s a special kind of magic that awaits during winters in the North Carolina mountains. With our community so uniquely positioned to take advantage of outdoor fun, there’s no better place to spend the season than right here at Eagles Nest.

Schedule your tour today to discover your future dream mountain home.