Chairlifts Aren’t The Only Thing Going Up – A Single Day Lift Tickets Report

Hello Skiers and Riders of the Southeast!

Time seems to be picking up the pace as we advance closer to the upcoming ski season.  By now you probably have adorned long sleeve clothing, spruced up your settings with autumn inspired decorations, and perhaps sat by a bonfire at night.

All signs that it is almost time for go-time.

This is also that part of the calendar year where prep work should occur such as equipment maintenance, physical exercise, and trip planning.  That last point is worth extra consideration because the availability for accommodations will dwindle, and those without a plan or reservation will risk the possibility of not making it happen.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of people that do not need prior arrangements, and instead opt for single day trips to their favorite, or nearby ski areas.

This article is meant to assist those with that gameplan by putting together the readily available information from the resorts within the Ski Southeast region to provide the published costs for a single day lift ticket. An important piece of the ski day puzzle.

Before the numbers are revealed, I need to preface this by stating that what I gathered is meant to be the maximum published cost, which is usually the day of window rate for adults.

That tends to be the priciest outcome, and fortunately our region is still a lot less of a wallet-whopper than other parts of the country where one day of turns can exceed $200 easily.

I obtained these figures from each resort’s websites, which you can find here at skisoutheast.com, please note some of these numbers were very easy to find on a simple chart (ex: Beech Mountain) and others by pulling up a calendar and choosing specific dates (ex: Snowshoe and Winterplace.)

What I am getting at is that these are what I found independently, are subject to change, might have an error somewhere, and are meant to be a worst-case scenario guidance.

Let me start with the question marks (???) that are most prevalent in the Virginia and Maryland locations.  The reason for them is because their websites have not updated yet with the upcoming season pricing.  When clicking on them you will find something somewhere stating the 2021-2022 years. Keep an eye out for 2022-2023 season updates!

The only exception on this chart is the Omni Homestead Resort, and that is due to their webpage primarily operating as a hotel booking site that skips over skiing.  Perhaps they all will update this very soon, but for now, this is what we must go off of and will keep an eye on their social platforms for future ski updates.

We can use what they had listed for last season as a measuring stick to where they will most likely come in at this time around.

Below is what 2021-2022 listed for that region.

Next, the title of this report alludes to the notion that costs have gone up, which for the most part is accurate. Of the sixteen member resorts in the Ski Southeast region, I could find pricing data from fourteen of them last season, and when we set aside the three places in Virginia and Maryland that are still showing old figures, we have eleven resorts that can be compared year-to-year.  Here is what that information shows:

• Appalachian Ski Mountain:
  • Weekdays, weekends, and holidays all had small increases of $2 (ex: Weekend was $69 and now is $71)
  • Night Skiing also had a minor increase from $39 to $41 for Friday and Saturday nights. You can ski night sessions Sunday-Thursday for $31.
  • App also offers a half-night session on Midnight Blast Nights that runs from 8:30-midnight for $31.
• Beech Mountain Resort:
  • Weekdays have had a small increase of $2 from $46 to $48
  • Weekend and holidays also have had a minor increase of $4 as it was $75 and is now $79
  • Night skiing also had a slight increase as it went from $39 to $45
• Cataloochee Ski Area:
  • Weekdays and night skiing have rose $2 when compared to last season (ex: Weekday was $47 and is now $49)
  • Weekends and holidays have a $3 leap from $76 to $79
• Sapphire Valley Ski Resort:
  • No change in cost from last season. Woo-hoo!
• Sugar Mountain Resort:
  • Weekdays are $1 more than last year by going from $49 to $50
  • Weekends and holidays have a $4 rise by going from $80 to $84
  • Night skiing is a $2 bump from last year and is now $46 instead of $44
• Wolf Ridge Ski Resort:
  • Weekdays have a $3 increase from $44 to $47
  • Weekends and holidays have had an increase of $6 by going from $70 to $76
  • Night skiing is $2 more by changing from $0 to $42
• Ober Gatlinburg:
  • No change in cost from last season. Woo-hoo!
  • New ownership, a name change, and new logo.
• Snowshoe Mountain:
  • This data should be taken with a grain of salt because their pricing fluctuates a lot on their calendar
  • Last season weekdays showed $72 as an average, but now I am reporting $127 as the maximum number found.  Most midweek were $86 or $88 with no rhyme or reason, and the lowest was $55 in November and early December.  We could say that midweek has had a modest increase of $72 to around $87
  • Weekends and holidays are more crystal-clear as having a $31 increase by going from $128 to $159
• Timberline Mountain:
  • No change in cost from last season. Woo-hoo!
• Winterplace Ski Resort:
  • While Winterplace didn’t have an official weekday product last season, if a guest came day of it was the same as a weekend ticket. This year, they are offering a $60 weekday ticket – which is about $17 less than last season.
  • Weekends and holidays had a small increase from $77 to $79
  • Night skiing also saw a small increase of $2 from $46 to $48.
  • Winterplace does offer their Wild Wonderful Pass for $79 that gives $25 off any All Day or Evening Ticket.  If you visit this place multiple times a season this initial cost up front will provide savings throughout.
• Bryce Resort:
  • Every lift ticket is $2 more than last season (ex: Weekend was $70 and is now $72)

So, what does this all mean?

For starters, we have three resorts that decided in no change from year-to-year.  If you are accustomed to visiting those places you should have a similar experience.

Second, the North Carolina ski resorts have slight bumps that range for $2 to $4 per lift ticket.  That equates to about a gallon of gasoline or a snack at the lodge.

In general, it is thriftier to ski or board during non-peak times of the day and week.  Night skiing is always a classic bet, because you get small to non-existent lift lines and a break on the cost, plus the conditions tend to be firmer with temperatures dropping. This is especially true if you night ski midweek, because hitting the slops midweek at any time of day has monetary advantages that weekend warriors miss out on.

As a reminder, lower rates do exist, especially with half day options. If you can squeeze all your turns in during a four-hour window you might want to consider that option.  Another thing you can do is ask for a discount if you are a student, military, have young children, or are a senior citizen.  Each place is different with what they offer, and it is best to look up their specific website to find out further.

For example, not every place has the same age range for senior citizens, and you might be considered as such at one place but not at another one.

To assist with that, the list below is each individual resort site that shows the lift ticket costs, including any discounts or special offers.

Go ahead and navigate around a bit, because in no time soon, it will be our time explore the slopes we enjoy.