Skiing and snowboarding near Boone

Appalachian Ski Mtn. sits just outside Blowing Rock. Sugar Mountain Resort and Beech Mountain Resort are both up the road toward Banner Elk. Each sets its own calendar and lift-ticket prices for this winter, and the gap between a Tuesday ticket and a Saturday ticket is bigger than the gap between the three mountains.

Prices checked Oct 2026 on each resort's ticket page. Resorts can change rates during the season, so confirm before you drive.

Opening and closing dates this winter

• Appalachian Ski Mtn. is projected to run November 20 to March 14 (appskimtn.com).
• Beech Mountain Resort opens November 21, 2026 and closes Saturday, March 20 (beechmountainresort.com).
• Sugar Mountain Resort charges holiday rates from December 17, 2026 through January 1 (skisugar.com).

Opening day can still move with the weather.

One-day adult lift tickets, weekday vs weekend

• Appalachian Ski Mtn. 8-hour Flex ticket: $57 on weekdays, $85 on weekends, $87 on holidays.
• Sugar Mountain full day, ages 12 and up: $65 Monday to Thursday, $104 Friday to Sunday and on holidays.
• Beech Mountain 8-hour flex: $60 on weekdays. The weekend daily adult ticket is $97.

A weekday ticket saves $28 at Appalachian, $39 at Sugar and $37 at Beech compared with a weekend day.

Booking and night sessions

Appalachian Ski Mtn. requires every ticket and rental to be reserved online before you arrive; buying on the day adds $2 to any ticket (appskimtn.com). Sugar Mountain runs night sessions from 6 to 10 pm. Beech Mountain's adult night ticket, good from 5 pm to close, is $44 on weekdays and $59 on weekends, and kids ages 4 and under ski Beech free (beechmountainresort.com).

Mountain size

• Sugar Mountain: 125 skiable acres, 1,200 feet of vertical, a 5,300-foot summit and 20 slopes, 14 of them lit.
• Beech Mountain: 95 acres, 17 trails, 830 feet of vertical and a 5,506-foot peak.

Sugar has more vertical than Beech. Beech's peak sits about 200 feet higher.

Holiday week

Appalachian Ski Mtn. runs its Holiday Midnight Blast nights from December 26 through December 31 (appskimtn.com).

Which mountain fits which trip

• Cheapest weekday day on snow: Appalachian Ski Mtn. at $57.
• Most vertical: Sugar Mountain at 1,200 feet.
• Highest elevation: Beech Mountain at 5,506 feet.
• Earliest first day: Appalachian Ski Mtn. on November 20, one day ahead of Beech (appskimtn.com).

This guide covers lift tickets, dates and mountain stats only.