This Charming Mountain Town Is the 'Ski Capital of the South'-and It Has Night Skiing, Tubing Parks, and Scenic Drives

"But to overlook the South is to overlook Boone, North Carolina, the "Ski Capital of the South." Not only does Boone have three nearby ski areas, each within 19 miles of the next, but it's beautiful to get to: The town is tucked just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, aka "America's Favorite Drive," which runs for 469-miles through the Appalachian Mountains."

"The closest ski area to downtown Boone, Appalachian Ski Mountain, is also the longest standing of the trio. Appalachian, often called "App Ski Mtn" for short, has been open since 1962 and has a ski school- French Swiss Ski College -that's been teaching people to ski for nearly as long. The mountain has 13 runs, all of which stay open for night skiing, an outdoor ice rink, and it's also adjacent to the bustling town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina."

"Meanwhile, Sugar Mountain Resort is the largest and steepest of the ski areas near Boone, with 125 acres of skiable terrain, 21 ski runs, and a vertical drop of 1,200 feet. Plus, 14 of the mountain's runs are lit for night skiing and Hawksnest Tubing is nearby, boasting the largest snow tubing park in the Southeast with over 30 tubing lanes."

"And finally, the area's highest elevation ski spot (read: good snow) is Beech Mountain Ski Resort, which is also the highest elevation ski area in the east. Beech has 17 runs, six chairlifts, and three surface lifts, plus a vertical drop of 830 feet. For après-ski, there's the slopeside Beech Mountain Brewing Co. or the on-mountain 5,506′ Sky Bar, which is perched at the summit of Beech Mountain at 5,506-feet."

Boone, North Carolina sits just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and serves as the Ski Capital of the South with three ski areas within 19 miles. Appalachian Ski Mountain is the oldest, offering 13 runs, night skiing, an outdoor ice rink, and a long-running ski school. Sugar Mountain Resort provides the most terrain and steepest vertical with 125 acres, 21 runs, and extensive night skiing, plus nearby Hawksnest Tubing. Beech Mountain Ski Resort is the highest-elevation eastern ski area with 17 runs, multiple lifts, an 830-foot vertical drop, and slopeside après-ski options including a summit Sky Bar.

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