What’s New at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort for the 2026-27 Season
From top to bottom and even in between, Sugar Mountain Ski Resort has been busy making improvements for the upcoming winter season.
At the summit, the original Summit House built in 1969 has been demolished and a complete rebuild is underway. The new 5,400-square-foot glass building will include a ski and snowboard patrol-ready area on the lower level. The second floor will feature a year-round restaurant with a bird’s-eye view of the North Carolina High Country from Sugar Mountain’s 5,300-foot summit.
Improvements are also underway across the slopes. The resort replaced 1,800 feet of decades-old snowmaking pipe along Laurel Lane and added three fully automated SMI Super PoleCat snowmaking machines. The new machines are positioned three-quarters of the way down Flying Mile, at the bottom of Little Nell, and near the top of Fanny Hill, a popular meeting point along Easy Street.
A new PistenBully 600 Winch Cat has also joined the grooming fleet, helping crews shape and maintain the slopes throughout the season. The resort is now halfway toward its goal of converting all slope lighting to energy-efficient LED lights.
Meanwhile, Muralist Ashley Roberts has spent the summer and fall working on two new murals on the Summit Express parking garage! When first arriving, guests will be greeted by a map on the outside trail system map of Sugar Mountain’s 125 skiable-acre resort. The loading-side wall features the dynamic and famous American ski racer, Spider Sabich, rushing down Tom Terrific in the 1970’s during a pro race.
As North Carolina’s largest snow-sports resort, Sugar Mountain continues its dedication to providing exceptional skiing, snowboarding, tubing, ice skating, and snowshoeing experiences for guests of all ages. Learn more about historical winter season opening dates and annual natural snowfall totals. For opening day information, please call 828-898-4521 or visit the resort’s live webcams for a real-time look at current mountain conditions.
Plan a winter getaway to the Village of Sugar Mountain, located high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina (elevation 4,000-5,300 feet). Of course, winter is our favorite season since we are home to one of the top winter sports destinations in the South, Sugar Mountain Resort! With an average of 78 inches of natural snow each winter (get weather info), find fantastic skiing and snowboarding, plus ice skating, tubing and more. Relax after a day of play in a comfortable vacation home and condo rental on the mountain – all sizes and styles ranging from mountaintop condos to secluded log cabins. See top places to stay near the slopes.