Cataloochee Ski Area

Cataloochee Ski Area kicked off the 2023/2024 season on November 29th. The season typically runs through March depending on weather.

Cataloochee Ski Area is North Carolina’s oldest ski resort (opening its slopes in 1961!) and has some of the best slopes for skiing near Asheville. It’s located in Maggie Valley and is just under an hour drive time from Asheville.

It’s a great place to visit for skiing, whether you grew up on the slopes or if it’s your very first visit. The resort has 18 slopes with difficulty ranging from green beginner slopes to expert black diamond slopes.

The slopes boast a 740 foot vertical drop from a peak elevation of 5400 feet. The longest run is the Upper and Lower Snowbird trail clocking in at 3,500 feet. They also have a terrain park to practice those jumps and tricks.

You’ll find a no-frills cafeteria-style canteen at the base of the mountain. Cataloochee is also home to Tube World, which is a great place to go snow tubing near Asheville.

Cataloochee has equipment in place to keep you skiing with 100% snowmaking capability and five lifts including a double, a triple, a quad and 2 magic carpet conveyors. All slopes are lighted for night skiing as well.

Lift tickets can be purchased online up to two weeks in advance.