In the northwestern corner of North Carolina sits the friendly mountain town of Sugar Mountain. The area is well-known as a haven for people who love skiing, hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this area appears to have a bluish tinge from a distance and on some days, a mist settles over the valleys, giving the area a magical look that will captivate your family. Nestled in the surrounding valleys and peaks are many small towns and larger resort areas where your family can spend a weekend or take your yearly vacation. Here are a few places to start looking for your perfect Sugar Mountain Vacation Rental Locations.
1. Sugar Mountain
Settle your family into a condo close to the town’s ski resort, or choose a more rustic cabin outside the town limits with a vacation rental in Sugar Mountain. Enjoy days filled with hiking, skiing, and fishing. At the Sugar Mountain Resort, you and your family can rent all the equipment you need to hit the slopes. Take a ski lesson if it’s your first time skiing or just need to brush up on your skills.
2. Banner Elk
Drive north along highway 184, enjoying the mountain views, until you arrive in Banner Elk. When you choose a vacation rental in this mountain community, you sit halfway between two ski resorts, the one on Sugar Mountain and the other on Beech Mountain. During the summer, this town is a great place to start a hiking adventure, spend an afternoon shopping in town, or find a local fishing hole. Check out the Linn Cove Viaduct that is part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and helps provide water to the local area.
3. Beech Mountain
The other ski resort in the area is in the town north of Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain. The town offers condos close to the ski slopes and more modest homes in the center of town for your vacation rental. While skiing at Beech Mountain resort, make sure to stop at 5056. This bar and grill sits at the top of the ski slope with a large outdoor area and glass windows so you can enjoy the view with your drink or meal.
4. Elk Valley
Enjoy the beautiful scenery as you leave Sugar Mountain behind and drive into the valley to the town of Elk Valley. During your days here, you can enjoy hiking, biking, and fishing. Schedule a trail ride with one of the local stables to gain a new perspective on the area. In the downtown area, enjoy some window shopping, and stop by Flat Top Brewing Company to sample their craft brews.
5. Seven Devils
Don’t let the name fool you. Seven Devil might just turn your family into a little slice of heaven with its proximity to the ski resorts, hiking trails, and other great outdoor activities. Skip the skis, and grab an inner tube for a day in the snow at Hawksnest Snow Tubing and Zipline. If you have any thrill seekers in the family, they can take a zipline tour with stunning views in all directions high above the ground.
6. Linville
The scenic drive to Linville allows your family glimpses of Grandfather Mountain State Park as you drive along Highway 105. In Grandfather Mountain State Park, hike the Profile Trail that zigzags back and forth until you reach the summit or choose the trail with the swinging bridge a mile above the ground. Cherokee National Forest and Pisgah National Forest are within easy driving distance for days filled with hiking, climbing, and fishing.
7. Valle Crucis
Feel as if you’ve stepped back in time when you book a vacation rental in the town of Valle Crucis. This small mountain community offers a slower pace of life and friendly locals who want to sit and talk a spell when you visit the general store. Spend the days with your family hiking, fishing, and biking in the local area. Take the kids to Foggy Mountain Gem Mine to pan for gold.
8. Flat Springs
High in the Blue Ridge Mountains along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee is the town of Flat Springs. Soak up the friendly local atmosphere while you enjoy days filled with hiking, horseback riding, and biking. Check the schedule for the Land of Oz Amusement Park that only opens on a very limited schedule to explore the remains of the Yellow Brick Road.
9. Sugar Grove
Wake up each morning to incredible views when you choose a cabin in the woods or a family home along the edge of town in Sugar Grove. Load the family in the car and take the Blue Ridge Parkway to mile marker 271.9, and enjoy the mile loop with its informative signs and breathtaking waterfall. Finish out the day with a lazy drive along the parkway and dinner in town at one of the mom and pop restaurants.
10. Blowing Rock
A popular resort town, Blowing Rock, bustles with visitors. Enjoy walking around the downtown area with its collection of eclectic shops and local restaurants and cafes. Take the family to the Tweetsie Railroad. This popular attraction includes a Wild West theme park with a gunslinger battle reenacted and a train ride through the surrounding mountains.
11. Boone
As home of Appalachian State College, Boone offers your family a thriving college town. It is filled with fun shops and an active bar and live music scene. At the outdoor theater, the local acting company puts on the play the Horn in the West that tells about the life and times of pioneer Daniel Boone.