Summer
The private Beech Mountain Club has a magnificent Willard Byrd-designed 18-hole championship golf course. Access to the course is available to guests renting qualified lodging; ask your rental office for more details.
This same private club has both hard-surface and clay tennis courts. Access to tennis is available to guests renting qualified lodging; ask your rental office for details. The Pinnacle Inn (tel. 800/405-7888; www.pinnacleinn.com) offers two asphalt courts for registered guests.
The swimming pool at the Beech Mountain Club is available to guests renting qualified lodging. There are indoor pools at the Pinnacle Inn and at Cedar Village Condos (tel. 800/258-6198) for registered guests.
Beech Mountain Sports offers rentals of mountain bikes for the eight marked trails on Beech Mountain. For more information, call tel. 828/387-2795 or 387-2373.
Fishers will find the 7-acre Buckeye Lake stocked throughout the year with trout. Facilities here include a boat ramp, picnic pavilion, and toilet facilities. The fishing season runs from the first Saturday in April until the end of February. Lake Coffey, another lake on Beech Mountain, is also stocked with trout. Persons over the age of 16 need a license costing $20 to $40; you can get one at Fred's General Mercantile (tel. 828/387-4838).
If you like hiking, the best trail is Pond Creek Trail, stretching for 2 miles beginning at Tarnarack Road, following the creek past Lake Coffey, and continuing to Locust Ridge Road. The lower end of the trail has a few small waterfalls.
Winter
The Ski Beech Express (tel. 800/438-2039 or 828/387-2011), a high-speed quad chairlift, is one of 10 lifts that service 15 slopes in the area: 3 beginner, 8 intermediate, and 4 advanced. There is an 830-foot vertical drop from the summit to the base.
The ski season lasts from mid-November until mid-March. Daily lift rates are $32 Monday to Friday and $52 on Saturday and Sunday. Lifts operate daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm and from 6 to 10pm. Ski rental is $19 Monday to Friday and $23 on weekends. Professional lessons are available at $20 per hour for group lessons or $55 for private lessons. Snow tubing and ice-skating are also available for $15 each for a 2-hour period.
The town has created a free sledding hill next to the town hall. This is eastern America's highest sled run, and it's open daily from 8am to 10pm.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
