Sugar Mountain North Carolina
“A Sweet Taste of the Good Life”
Town of Sugar Mountain NC
Sugar Mountain, NC is nestled in the middle of the High Country located at the eastern end of Avery County and surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains. Sugar Mountain is filled with streams, abundant with lush greenery, and gorgeous mountain views. Sugar Mountain offers a peaceful and serene getaway, with incredible natural beauty as well as offering year-round activities, fun enough for the entire family.
We aren’t just a premier winter sports destination; our area offers something spectacular in every season. In the winter, we are the place for incredible skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, tubing and ice skating. Spring, Summer and Fall offer great opportunities for hiking and biking on the Sugar Mountain Resort trails, scenic rides on the Resort chair lifts, golfing and tennis in the Village, and wonderful expeditions on the Blue Ridge Parkway and nearby Grandfather Mountain. In any season, enjoy local spas, shopping, performing arts, and a great selection of area restaurants. After a day of exploring the Sugar Mountain area, rest and rejuvenate in one of our many accommodations with a range of amenities and views, plus our signature Sugar Mountain hospitality. So…pick a season, any season, and enjoy the incredible views and amenities of Sugar Mountain, North Carolina.
History of Sugar Mountain NC
In the Western Highlands of NC between the towns of Linville and Banner Elk, the Sugar Mountain Company was started with the purchase of 2,000 acres of land. An additional 900 acres, owned by George MacRae, a tract owned by Julian Morton, and two farm tracts in Norwood Hollow were added to form Sugar Mountain. The vision of Sugar Mt. was developed by Dr. Tom Brigham, the pioneer of Southern skiing. He was a dentist in Birmingham, Ala. He read an article in Reader’s Digest reporting the invention of a machine for producing man-made snow. He was a long time skier who learned to ski on the slopes of Vermont.
Working with Dr. Brigham were George and Chessie MacRae. George was a conservationist and Chessie was experienced in developing recreational programs. Skiing was only a small part of the grand design of Sugar Mountain. It was to be a second home year-round family resort community that would be self-sustaining, with a cluster of shops, professional services, even a church, not just another resort development but to a true home away from home for its property owners. Construction was started in early 1969 with the ski slopes opening for the first time on Dec. 29, 1969. In addition to the ski slopes, the developers built a 40,000 square foot central resort lodge containing a dining room/cafeteria, offices, a gift and ski shop, ski rental and repair shops, public locker room, nursery and club room for resort members and lodge guests. A two building 32 room guest lodge was built slope side just above the main lodge.
By 1972, building lots were developed and sold in Western Highlands, Grouse Forest, and Mushroom Park, residential areas on either side of the ski slopes. Condominiums were built and sold in rapid order through 1983. To help preserve the beauty of the mountains, the electric power lines were all installed underground. Nearly every road was paved. Following this initial period of rapid development, no new condominiums were built until 2004, although private homes continued to flourish all over Sugar Mountain.
Highlights of Sugar Mountain North Carolina
- Sugar Mountain Ski Resort
- Octoberfest at Sugar Mountain
- Sugarfest
- Grandfather Mountain
- Blue Ridge Parkway
- Sugartop and the Ridge Law