Bob attended seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. I remember the first time it really snowed up there. The snow began falling about 7 o’clock on a Sunday evening. Within an hour, all of the students and their spouses who came from Georgia were out playing in the snow. Snowmen were made. Sleds were made from large pieces of corrugated cardboard or trash can lids. We all stayed out until late that night, freezing in the dropping temperatures, and having the time of our lives in real snow.
I remember as a kid those few times we got real snow in the metro Atlanta area. Snow that was deep enough to play in didn’t happen often. In fact, we experienced more ice storms than snowstorms. The city would come to a standstill. We’d lose power and would hunker down in front of the fireplace, cooking what we could over the fire, and entertaining neighbors who didn’t have a fireplace in their homes.
We southerners love snow. Unlike our northern neighbors, snow is seldom a problem in the south because we just don’t get it that often. And it’s even rarer for snow to last several days. Our winter sun in the south is usually powerful enough to melt most of it away, leaving just enough moisture to cause black ice on the roads.
So, if you’re one of those southerners who are passionate about snow and feel like winter is missing something without it, here are some suggestions for finding snow nearby. From the north Georgia mountains, we have several options for snow at a reasonable distance away. And, all of these places can make snow if the weather doesn’t take care of it naturally.
I’ve figured driving times and distances from downtown Clarkesville, Georgia. A link directly to each resort is provided for ticket prices, making reservations, and checking COVID-19 requirements. Make sure you verify all information before going because things can change rapidly during COVID-19.
Finding snow within one hour of Clarkesville
Scaly Mountain Outdoor Center is located in Scaly Mountain, North Carolina, just 15 minutes north of Dillard, Georgia. From Clarkesville, the drive is less than an hour and only 38 miles away. Scaly offers snow tubing (and summer tubing on artificial turf) and ice skating. Scaly Mountain offers a kiddie hill for tubing as well as tubing for children and adults.
License to Chill Snow Island at Margaritaville is located at Lake Lanier Island, Georgia. Lake Lanier, located about an hour north of Atlanta and an hour from Clarkesville as well. License to Chill Snow Island offers snow tubing, ice skating, playing in the snow, and amusement rides.
Finding snow within two hours of Clarkesville:
Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain has been a go-to destination for Atlantans and those in the surrounding areas. However, Snow Mountain has not opened this year because of COVID restrictions. It’s only 77 miles from Clarkesville and takes an hour and a half on the road. While this year is not an option, you may want to check in out for the 2021-2022 season.
Ski Sapphire Valley is located in Sapphire, North Carolina, and is only one and a half hours from Clarkesville. Ski Sapphire Valley offers skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, and ski school. Ski Sapphire requires masks and is not taking reservations this year. All activities are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Cataloochee Ski Resort is located in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, and is just 94 miles and two hours from Clarkesville. Cataloochee provides skiing for beginners and experts and snow tubing is available nearby.
Finding snow within 3 hours:
Moonshine Mountain Snow Tubing Park is located in Hendersonville, North Carolina, just 131 miles from Clarkesville. The drive should take under two and a half hours. The park has over 500 feet of tubing hills and is designed for children and adults of all ages.
Wolf Ridge Ski Resort in Mars Hill, North Carolina, is 131 miles from Clarkesville and is a two- and-a-half-hour drive. Wolf Ridge offers skiing, snow tubing, and ski school. Lighted slopes allow for night skiing and snowboarding as well.
Ober Gatlinburg is located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, just 112 miles from Clarkesville. It can be reached by car in two-and-a-half hours. Ober Gatlinburg is the only ski resort in Tennessee, and offers skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, and ice skating.
Finding snow within 4 hours:
Cloudmont Ski Resort is located in Lookout Mountain, Alabama, just over two hundred miles from Clarkesville. It can be reached in about three-and-a-half hours (210 miles). Cloudland has several ski slopes designed for beginners and for experts. Unfortunately, Cloudland is not open for the 2020-2021 season. Maybe next year!
Sugar Mountain Resort in Sugar Mountain, North Carolina, is about a three-and-a-half hour drive from Clarkesville (184 miles). Besides skiing and snowboarding, Sugar Mountain offers snow tubing, snowshoeing and ice skating.
Hawksnest Snow Tubing Park in Seven Devils, North Carolina, is just under four hours away (188 miles). Hawksnest has four areas of tubing, two serviced by moving carpet lifts. The other two areas have fewer people if you are physically able to climb the slopes on your own.
Appalachian Ski Mountain in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, is located just under four hours from Clarkesville (206 miles). Appalachian Ski Mountain is a great resort for beginning skiers or families. It has ten ski slopes, a ski school, several freestyle terrain parks, and an ice arena with a panoramic view. Online reservations are required.
Beech Mountain Ski Resort in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, is a four-hour, 191-mile drive from Clarkesville. Beech Mountain has the highest elevation of any ski resort in North Carolina. It offers 17 trails and 95 acres to ski.
