Vonore area (Knoxville, Chattanooga: ski resorts, home, golf course)

[ekwalker]

How far would I need to drive to go cross-country skiing in the winter?

[TheShadow]

Snow is a very occasional thing in east TN. In the last 6 years we've had enough snow to x-country ski for one or two days maybe twice. You would definitely need to go further north than TN. Even in the mountains, you might get enough to ski but there are no places with groomed trails if that's what you're looking for. Ski resorts her are all man-made snow for the most part and are on the top of a mountain, so not really x-country type terrain. We've been able to bust out the x-country skis and ski our golf course twice, but usually the snow (1-4 inches) is gone in one day.

[piedmont]

Occasionally there is enough snow and the timing is right so that you can snowshoe or XC ski in the Smokies (ex. on Clingman's Dome Rd. if the highway up there isn't closed due to snow/ice).

We've snowshoed at home (between Knoxville and Chattanooga) *once* in a decade when we got a rare 8 " snowfall.

If you're willing to drive to the mountains of NC (2-3 hours away), you'll have more opportunities for winter outdoor fun. They actually get quite a bit more snow than we do in E TN.

[TheShadow]

The Clingman's dome road is normally closed from Dec 1 thru March 31, and whenever there is snow and ice.