By: Hannah Leyva, WGHP – Greensboro
BANNER ELK, N.C. (WNCN) — The 2023-2024 winter sports season has arrived, and mountain resorts across the state and the country have opened up for skiing, snowboarding and more.
Luckily for North Carolinians, great resorts are just a drive into the mountains, and one of those western NC locales has even been voted one of the best ski towns on the continent.
USA Today’s 10best.com recently released the results of its 2023 Readers’ Choice for top 10 ski towns in North America, and Banner Elk notched the No. 6 spot on the list.
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“Banner Elk offers excellent mountain terrain ideal for skiing,” the entry on 10best.com reads. “Two different ski resorts (Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain) are located within Banner Elk, both of which provide commendable lodging and add to the overall ski experience.”
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The town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, approximately a four-hour drive from Raleigh, is also praised for its non-ski activities.
“Besides hitting the slopes, you can browse the exhibits in the Beech Mountain History Museum, take a ride down the Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster, go wine tasting at the Banner Elk Winery, indulge in great food, or go snow tubing,” the travel and life*style site says.
Banner Elk is one of just three towns in the eastern part of the continent to make the list, and the only one of the three not in New England.
USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice 2023 Top 10 Ski Towns in North America
| 1. Red River, NM |
| 2. Banff, Alberta |
| 3. Bend, OR |
| 4. North Conway, NH |
| 5. Stowe, VT |
| 6. Banner Elk, NC |
| 7. Jackson Hole, Wyoming |
| 8. Truckee, CA |
| 9. Whistler, British Columbia |
| 10. Taos, NM |