Wolf Ridge Ski Resort

Honestly, this ski resort is perhaps the smallest of the ski resorts in NC. But it has its advantages as a small family owned ski resort. It’s got more slopes and it tends to not be as busy. Plus, it’s the closest ski resort to Atlanta. Unlike Cataloochee, Wolf Ridge (now called Wolf Laurel) is closer to other attractions like Asheville and hot springs. Cataloochee is a little more isolated and not close to as many attractions. There are nicer cabin options near Wolf Ridge, whereas Cataloochee does not have as many cabin options.
The downfalls to Wolf Ridge is some of the slopes are a little more narrow. The ski lodge is small and unlike Cataloochee, does not have a full-​dining area. It’s still a great place to ski and you can’t beat the 20 minute vicinity to Asheville.

While not as large as the resorts I’m use to in the northeast, I was pleasantly surprised by Wolf Ridge. Conditions were good with only a few spots of ice. The staff was pleasant and helpful.

Do not go, especially if you are new to skiing. Terrible slope conditions and indifferent employees.

I know it’s May, but I just wanted to write a review to brag about the phenomenal staff that works here and the great people that this resort attracts.
I came here over MLK weekend on a ski trip and tried skiing for the first time. Some things to note: there is a student discount, the bunny slope is not obviously marked, coming on a long weekend means there will be a bit of waiting in lines when renting ski gear, all-​day passes include night skiing, and night skiing is not the best for beginners. Although there was a wait time for ski gear, the people behind the rental desk were really patient when a member of my party had a hard time finding ski boots that fit, and you could tell that they all really loved their jobs because they all had great attitudes.
I had a crash course in skiing so I do not know how their ski instruction is, but as I tried to stop myself and skied down a slight hill to the ski lift, the person working there caught me and taught me how to get on. At the top as my chairlift partner and I looked confused about how to get down, they stopped the ski lift and helped us both down and then told us how to get down. Later, when lost our balance getting off the ski lift, they stopped the ski lift so no one would crash into us and helped us onto our feet. They are all so kind.
I ended up falling and hurting myself when my party went night skiing, but the people in the first aid lodge were very friendly and they let me stay there, gave me some foam to elevate my knee, and kept me company as the rest of my party tried to get itself together to move me. They were very accommodating and worked with my friends as we debated whether or not a wheelchair would be necessary.
The next day, my friends went skiing, and I was hanging out in the ski lodge with a book and my knee propped up. A kind man who worked in the lodge and had been seen returning peoples’ lunch trays for them saw I was hurt and asked if I needed a bag of ice and returned with a new trash bag full of ice! How great is that? I never got his name, but he was so great. Throughout the day, he would also stop by and ask if I needed anything and he even filled up my water bottle for me so I didn’t have to get up. Seriously, this place hires amazing people.
During my time in the ski lodge, I also met a really nice man who brought his granddaughter for her third year skiing. There was no way she was older than 8. We struck up a great conversation about skiing and his family and Wolf Ridge and he said that although he can’t ski with his granddaughter, there is always a ski instructor or another skier who was more than willing to take his granddaughter up and down the slope. Wolf Ridge not only has a great staff on board, but also has great patrons.
Although I injured myself and did not see the bunny slope until I was already up on a bigger slope, I can say that the hospitality here is amazing and I think it is an incredible environment. The lodge has hot hot fire places. The snow pellets were a little hard and icy, but I think that might be the standard. If you’re hungry, get the tator tots and put chili and cheese on them in the lounge: D

This place was disappointing to say the least. We bought a groupon and confirmed twice before even getting there that is could be used on Friday February 13. When we got there and walked up to the counter the guy working it was arguing with 3 other customers who also bought the groupon and he didn’t want to honor any of our groupons but I told him how I confirmed it and that their website specifically listed only February 15. I was irritated by the rudeness and them disgusted that the «lodge» was ragged and beaten down looking. Disgusting food, run down and just all around gross. The slopes would’ve been nice if it wasn’t just ice! They were trying to charge $ 56 for a holiday weekend rate for having only 1 lift open and only a few runs open of just ice. I’m glad they honored the $ 19 groupon even if it was a right but I would’ve cancelled it right away if they hadn’t because it was not worth even a dollar more then that!

I was apprehensive about visiting Wolf Ridge based on the mixed reviews but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised overall by our experience there this past weekend. There are a few issues with the lodge, mainly the fact that it hasn’t been updated since it was built. Therefore its crowded, dark, and chaotic. Staff told us that they will be updating it in the near future so take that into consideration.
The rental process went pretty smoothly considering it was the busiest day they’ve had all year. A couple of cool things to note– you can rent a locker for $ 5 and a helmet for $ 10 and you get your deposit back. You can also switch your rental from snowboard to ski with no problem. These were no brainers to me. The staff are young but they’re so genuine and so helpful. They asked my son what his favorite color was when we went to rent a snowboard and came out with a board in that color. It was a small gesture but a nice one.
Wolf Ridge is a great place for a beginner. They have a bunny hill that it great for starting out. Once you advance past that, they have a magic carpet. This was great until about 1 pm. At that point it got so crowded and people were standing on the slope– (WTF??) in the middle of the slope. The kids we were with decided that it was time to try the lift so we moved on. Yes, the lines for the lift were ridiculous, but there’s a trick. If you know how to read a map I suggest you do so. You’ll be rewarded with lifts sans lines and a nice couple of green trails that are perfect for beginners. Oh, and the best part? NOT CROWDED. I can’t give my secrets away, so you’ll have to figure it out yourself, but trust me, it’s not hard.
Overall, we had a great time and are seriously considering going back next year to stay in a cabin and go for more than a day.

Spent entire life on skis and snowboards, experiencing almost every major ski slope and terrain park from the West to the East, and in Canada.
This tiny mole-​hill, is over crowded by dangerous oblivious beginners, much-​like every other slope in NC. The lifts are slow, the lines long, and slopes are limited and icy.
They blow snow on the cold days, so look forward to wearing a face-​mask and goggles regardless of weather.
This bunny-​slope is only better than their direct competitor (cataloochee) by price. Though Cataloochee may have a slight edge on terrain they exponentially fail at value!
If you’re itching to ride and you don’t care about an icy & rocky terrain, long-​lines, slow lifts, a pretty extensive injury-​ensuring «Oblivious-​people obstacle course,» or your equipment getting scratched all-​to-​hell; then this is the better value compared to Cataloochee.
SouthEast «Ski-​resort» quick review: 1) Sugar Mtn 2) Beeche Mtn 3) Appalachian ski; (if you have to settle) Value:1)Wolf ridge ski, 2) Cataloochee Terrain: 1) Cataloochee, 2) Wolf Ridge

We rented the eagle’s nest cabin for a family weekend getaway and we had a wonderful time! It was a good price and the off season, so there not many people in the resort, but we had a blast! it was serene and secluded. Fabulous views and a bit of a stomach turner of a drive to get there… It would be difficult to drive there during a storm, i surmise. We enjoyed our stay in May, great weather and nice people at the resort!

Mehhh is how I really feel about this place. I may be biased considering I’m comparing it to Snowbasin in West coast. We came in around 12pm and it took us about 45mins to get a slope pass. (whoot, student discount) There is only like one booth. I rented a board. The first one they gave me was so crappy. I’m not even exaggerating. Tore up. I had to request a smaller board just so they could change it. The slopes were limited. It was pretty much iced out.
Let’s talk about food… The place kinda reminded me of an old skating rink. Food was like cafeteria style hot dogs, burgers, corn dogs. I suggest bringing your own food.
If you’re not local and planing a ski/​board trip, I would not choose this place particularly. You are better off spending the money at a place with real snow and better ammenities.

My bf brought me here to snowboard for the first time. He has been snowboarding for probably over 6 – 7 years now. He states that this place definitely falls on the lower part of the totem pole when it comes to size and slopes. But we both agreed that this was a great place to learn.
Two day passes and one snowboard rental cost us $ 97 with a military discount. Not too shabby. The rentals were ok; my only complaint was that the right binding on my snowboard couldn’t strap down completely; or as tightly as I needed it to. We went to attempt to trade my board in for another one, but there were none my size, so I just stuck with this board.
The bunny slope is practically flat, and they hold classes if you need instruction on skiing or snowboarding. The lift can drop you off at two locations. The first location is for the newbies and the second one is for experts. I learned a lot in one day and I feel like I had a good experience. I’m glad I came here to learn instead of flying out to Utah and paying an exorbitant amount of money as a newbie. (I hear that happens to alot of newbies…)

My friend and I usually ski at Sugar Mountain. However, we decided to try Wolf Ridge since we were staying in Asheville, NC. I cannot complain about anything at the resort. The prices are reasonable, but service is not as professional. I will say that the first aid guys are very friendly. They are the ones in the red vests skiing around the slopes. We did not get much snow this year, but the blown snow was enough for us to have a good time. Not much selection of food in the cafeteria, so pack your own or eat before you go. They do not serve alcohol either if you are looking for that. It wasn’t crowded either… that was nice.

This place seemed a lot smaller than the other ski resorts I’ve been to in NC. I skied before, but I was a first time snow boarder. I thought it was cool that they gave free ski and snowboard lessons.
My snowboard lessons were okay. It was more like, «watch me do this and now you do it.» type of lesson. I think the lesson could’ve been 15 – 30 minutes long, instead of an hour. All he did to «teach» was make us go up the bunny slopes and go down repeatedly. He did give some pointers, but it was mostly learning by doing. I didn’t mind that, but I didn’t need an instructor for me to learn by experience. Oh well, at least it was free.
I think he should’ve taught us how to fall, how to get up from falling, how to maneuver if you get stuck on a flat or an incline, etc. But like I said, it was free, so who am I to complain?
If you’re a beginner, make sure you get off at the right slope. When you ride the ski lift, the signs are very confusing. A lot of people in our group made the mistake of going to the expert slopes (black diamond). I’m sure it was an exciting time for them since they were just beginners.
The easy runs (green circle) is on the first stop, to the left. A lot of people get confused because the sign at the easy runs says, «TOP EXPERTS ONLY!» What they meant to write was, «TOP: EXPERTS ONLY!» Which means if you go to the top, that’s for experts so beginners get off here. Why not just write, «BEGINNERS!» or «EASY» or even paint the standard green circle?
I’m sure a lot of novices got screwed because of the signage. Luckily, I was with someone who have already been up and warned me beforehand. With my snowboarding skills, I fell enough at the bunny slopes already. It would’ve been a nightmare at the expert slopes.
Like I mentioned earlier, the lodge was small. Luckily, since the weather was warm when we were there, not many people were there. The food was expensive, but that’s normal for a ski lodge.
They rent bibs and helmets. You would need bibs if you’re a beginner and plan on falling a lot. If you don’t get a bib, you will get wet and cold. I rented a helmet, but I don’t think it’s necessary – even when snowboarding. I fell, but I didn’t fall hard enough to crack my head. Just make sure your head doesn’t hit the ice when you fall. Judo break-​falls work well when you fall with a snowboard.
Speaking of ice, I was surprised not to find much ice at this resort. I did see some patches of ice though. It was more slushy snow thanks to the ridiculously warm weather we were having in the middle of January.

I skied for the first time on Sunday at Wolf Ridge Ski Resort in Mars Hill, NC. So that should be a barometer as to what kind of perspective my review is coming from. Ergo, I have nothing to compare this ski resort to (from personal experience).
Bibs are $ 15 to rent and helmets are $ 10. Since I spent most of my time on the bunny slope, I decided to forgo the helmet. Helmets are recommended for snowboarders. We got a group rate of $ 34 for the lift tickets and skis were $ 15 to rent (snowboards $ 29).
We took a one-​hour beginner’s class with Michael from New Mexico. Michael was a nice and relaxed dude. He was very patient with our group. In one hour, he just taught us the bare minimum: the wedge (or pizza), the pointed inward angle you make with your skis in order to slow down and control your speed. We started with one leg, then the other, then both. Then we took turns down the bunny slope, getting a feel for skiing. He did teach us a few safety tips (e.g. how to fall — not on your butt) and how to turn, but that’s about it.
He did *not* teach us how to get up after falling. I went through the entire beginner’s class and several trips down the bunny slope without falling. However, when I did eventually fall, it was quite a challenge sometimes getting back up. Several of us got confident (cocky?) after dominating the bunny slope. I know I did. So we were enthusiastic to ride the lift up and try the intermediate slope.
First, the lift. Nobody told me how to use the lift, so when I sat down on it and started going up, I did not bring the safety harness down. At amusement park rides, the safety harness usually comes down automatically. Not at Wolf Ridge’s lift. So I went up about a quarter of the mountain before I decided to try and pull the bar down.
Second, the intermediate station. On Sunday, people riding the lift had the option to get off at the mid (or intermediate) station or the top station. The intermediate station had a confusing handwritten sign that led beginners to believe the intermediate station was really the expert station. So instead of getting off at the intermediate station, I rode all the way to the top of the mountain where the expert station was located.
At that point, there was no turning back. I spoke with one of the safety crew, Billy, and told him I was a beginner. He decided to follow me down the expert slope to the intermediate station to make sure I was OK (thanks Billy). It’s a good thing he followed me because I fell and tumbled every which way down the expert slope. It was embarrassing, exhausting, and funny. My confidence from the bunny slope was immediately squashed. I can’t tell you how many times I fell and wiped out. I slid on my butt most of the time. You’re not supposed to slide on your rear end, but I did it intentionally just so I could get down the dang mountain. I also slid on my chest, face, side, spinning clockwise, counterclockwise, flipping over, you name it. I’m lucky I didn’t get injured. I was way in over my head.
The most humiliating thing about it was the little kids that were killing it down the expert slope. I saw two 10-​year old girls go down it like it was nothing. A little boy snowboarder grabbed one of my poles that I had lost during one of my 200 wipeouts and brought it down to me. Nothing like little kids schooling you.
Aaron D. made the same mistake as me and rode all the way to the top station. He didn’t fall nearly as many times as me, though he did crash into a pole. He said the entire expert slope was «terrifying.» I get a chuckle everytime I think back to him just as he went over the edge and down the slope in his permanent wedge. He looked frightened for his life.
By the time I made it to the intermediate station, I was mentally and physically exhausted from the expert slope. I fell quite a few times on the intermediate slope, but mainly because I could barely stand anymore. I didn’t have the energy.
[Expert tip from Daniel B: DO eat something, like breakfast, before a day of skiing. I skipped breakfast — bad idea.]
I walked for part of the way down the intermediate slope before I realized I would expend more energy walking than skiing. I took a bit of a break before snapping on my skis for the home stretch, which I eventually made through smoothly.
I refueled at the lodge, though I didn’t realize how overpriced their food was. A simple cheeseburger was $ 5 and a hot dog was $ 3. A combo meal was $ 8, which was basically a burger, fries, and a small fountain drink (no refills). Yikes. You may want to think about packing your own food. The selection at the lodge also doesn’t vary much (they also serve pizza and chicken tenders).
In the end, I had a lot of fun at Wolf Ridge and thought it was a great introduction to skiing. I can’t wait to ski again!

Let’s start with the gear rental: my snowboarding boots were so torn up that my feet got wet. After the first run, I went back and got a different pair. The bindings were all jacked up, so I returned my board for a new one, too. Then one of the bindings was LOOSE, but at least it ratcheted down correctly. For $ 30 (the same price I paid to rent all brand-​new Burton gear in Tahoe), I thought that was unacceptable. There was one kid working in the gear rental area who was pretty helpful, but the rest of them were basically useless. And they need to brush their damn hair.
The lift was fine. One of the beginners’ ski runs was really narrow at the top, making it pretty congested, but it gets wider quickly. The conditions were a bit icy, but I don’t think there’s much that can be done about that.
The lodge is small and cramped, but I think that’s pretty normal. There’s a shuttle (read: old short bus) from an outer lot into the «resort» when the main lot starts to get full. The shuttle driver was very friendly.
You can rent helmets, bibs, boards, skis, and boots. But if you have your own stuff, don’t forget to bring it. The rental’s kind of expensive ($ 12 for bibs + a $ 13 deposit, $ 15 for helmets + $ 15 deposit, etc.), but it’s nice to have the option. I’m just pissed that I forgot my snowboarding pants.
It’s not very picturesque, but hey, it’s North Carolina. If you want bad ass ski resorts, head west young one. But if I had my own gear, I would go back here because it’s convenient for me.

my mom wanted to go skiing, so we called up wolf laurel as we believe it to be the closest skiing to asheville which is where we were staying. the person who answered the phone was not very helpful in helping out of towners in finding skiing gear. apparently, the resort rents ski bibs but not jackets… which is perplexing. we basically did not go skiing due to this. next time we want to go skiing, i guess we will have to go over to the boone area.