Beyond the Slopes in Boone

There’s so much more to enjoy in this North Carolina town

Words by Paige Townley 

Thanks to its idyllic setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Boone is synonymous with skiing and snowboarding. But wintertime adventure goes far beyond the slopes in this North Carolina town. With terrain and infrastructure to support everything from ice skating to sledding, it’s easy to see why Boone is a winter wonderland. 

Ice Skating

Ice skating is the epitome of wintertime fun, and two Boone area ski resorts offer the facilities needed to enjoy it all winter long as well. Appalachian Ski Mountain includes the state’s only Zamboni-maintained outdoor ice rink, along with seating around a bonfire for those much-needed breaks for warm refreshments. Sugar Mountain Resort offers a 10,000-square-foot ice rink, conveniently located near the resort’s restaurant.

Snow Tubing

Snow tubing is another activity that’s fun for the whole family, and there are multiple spots around Boone that offer this growing recreational activity. Beach Mountain Resort, the highest ski area in the town with its 5,506-foot peak elevation, offers snow tubing lanes at the base of its slopes. The largest snow tubing park in the Southeast is Hawksnest Snowtubing. Hawksnest features up to 30 lanes and four different areas to snow tube, with lanes ranging in length from 400 to 1,000 feet.

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing is another popular activities all winter long. Beech Mountain is a sought after snowshoeing destination as its elevations are as high as 5,000 feet, and its Buckeye Recreation Center even offers free snowshoeing.

Sledding

There’s perhaps no wintertime activity as fun for kids of all ages as sledding, and Beech Mountain is the favorite location destination to do it. Beech Mountain’s sledding hill was specifically designed for kids 12 and under enjoy the popular pastime safely all winter long.

Plan your winter escape to Boone now at www.exploreboone.com.