Cataloochee Ski Area, Maggie Valley, NC

Travel

The Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, N.C. has been giving Southerners a place to ski for more than 50 years. Built in 1961, it was the first ski area south of Virginia.

The Cataloochee Ski Area offers 13 slopes covering 25 acres, with two of those slopes considered difficult. Eighty percent of Cataloochee's visitors rent ski equipment, so the emphasis is on beginner and moderate courses.

Snow boarding is popular at the Cataloochee Ski Area, where many Georgians take their first ski lessons. Cataloochee prides itself as a great place for families and groups of skiers with varied skill levels.

Tube World is a sister property that has wide snow slides groomed specially for fat inflated tubes. Wipe-outs are generally pain-free, as Tube World maintains a deep base of snow.

By late in the afternoon on Saturdays and holidays, the Cataloochee Ski Area can get packed with skiers. Sunday mornings and weekdays are much better days to go.

The Cataloochee Ski Area makes its own snow to augment what mother nature provides. Temperature and humidity both determine if conditions are right to make snow. A damp 30 degrees may not be suitable but a dry 34 degrees may permit snow formation.

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The Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, N.C. has been giving Southerners a place to ski for more than 50 years. Built in 1961, it was the first ski area south of Virginia.

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