Winter Things to Do

Things To Do During Winter In The Blue Ridge Mountains

Posted on 01/18/2018 in Winter Things to Do.

There are so many things to do in the Blue Ridge Mountains no matter what time of the year you visit but wintertime really takes it over the top! Enjoy the wonders of the fourth season and take advantage of these Top Things to Do in Winter!

Peak Season Lasts Through May

When you're searching for the perfect Blue Ridge Mountain vacation rental take advantage of our winter rates through May. This is a great time to make plans for a weekend winter getaway to one of our toasty warm North Carolina mountain cabins.

Ski Resorts (The Obvious Choice)

Our Blue Ridge Mountains ski resorts offer skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, snowshoeing, ice skating, and lessons in everything, for all levels. Sugar Mountain Resort is the largest in the state and Hawk’s Nest offers the largest tubing park on the East coast! All that while also offering some of the most dramatic panoramic views from the mountain tops. Among those are Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain Resort, Hawk’s Nest Tubing Park, and Sugar Mountain Resort.

Winter Hiking

Wintertime is the best time to fully experience the beauty of our mountains and to spot everything you’d miss during the months of the year when the woods are flush with foliage. Enjoy a brisk mountain hike and you’ll see the true shape of the mountains, discover rock outcroppings, creeks and even old farmhouses you can’t see in the summer. Mount Jefferson offers guided winter hikes most every weekend as well as trails to explore on your own. Grayson Highlands State Park,just over the state line into Virginia, is open year-round. Wild ponies run free throughout the area. Elk Knob State Park, located in Watauga County, features one of the highest peaks in North Carolina's high country at 5,520 feet and one of the parks system's finest trails to the spectacular views from the summit. Offering over 100 trails of various levels, the Blue Ridge Parkway trails are definitely worth checking out. (But note, when there’s snow, some stretches of the parkway are not plowed.)

Shopping & Dining

Our towns are open year-round too, and the shops and restaurants of West Jefferson, Jefferson, and Glendale Springs welcome you no matter what the weather is. With fewer tourists you can linger over your meal without feeling guilty or rushed and you can visit longer with a shopkeeper who’ll gladly fill you in about the area. You’ll find plenty of unique, and in many cases, locally-made crafts and art you won’t find anywhere else. Boondocks Brewing offers special events such as wine pairings and beer & cheese pairings. Check out their restaurant events or the Brue Haus events page.

The Arts

The music doesn’t stop with seasonal changes. The Hotel Tavern continues its music series almost every weekend evening, and if you’re here during the week you can get your game on at Boondocks and try Trivia Night or Brews & Beats Bingo, or their beer and cheese or wine pairings. The Riverhouse offers its Sunday Salon series, and over in Boone App State has interesting musical offerings. Our art galleries continue to showcase new work, and you’ll find a new show each month at the Florence Thomas Art School as well as the Ashe County Arts Gallery, both in downtown West Jefferson and both with selections of local art for sale.

Buy Mountain Land

Winter is the best time to search for your very own piece of paradise. Without the leaves and underbrush obscuring the glades and hillocks and knolls, you can clearly see what you’re buying. Ashe County land sales have more than doubled in the past two years, but we still have a lot of choice properties available. If you’ve been considering an investment in our area, one of the skilled agents at Ashe High Country Realty will be happy to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Or Just Relax

Take time for a mini-vacation to re-energize after the holiday hustle and bustle. Simply decompress while you curl up in front of the warm, cozy fireplace, savoring a toasty hot chocolate or while sipping on a glass of your favorite wine. Unwind and let the pressures of daily life slip away as you kick back and enjoy the picturesque snow falling outside your window. There's no better place to do that than right here in one of our Blue Ride Mountain retreats.