NC’s first alpine coaster opens in Banner Elk. Here’s how to make a weekend out of it
For many of us, we have a lot of angst and energy built up after nearly three months of staying in place and working from home. Our freshly repainted walls and finished projects are already looking old and stale. It’s time for a getaway.
But where can you get away from Charlotte and still stay away from others?
Some of the pictures and videos of the beach and some pools look downright scary in this pandemic era. That’s why more people are looking for a more secluded location to have some fun, especially in the North Carolina mountains.
New alpine coaster
Those screams and laughter you hear in the woods near Banner Elk come from a new adventure activity that opened just a month ago: the Wilderness Run Mountain Rollercoaster. It’s the first alpine coaster in North Carolina, and it’s located across the road from Sugar Mountain. That’s a little more than two hours away from Charlotte.
“You’re looping, dipping or turning. There is no point where you are just riding,” co-owner Eric Bechard said. “It’s very fast and a whole lot of fun.”
Riders navigate the track in individual carts that accommodate up to two people.
The 3,160-foot run begins with a cable-pulled ascent of 770 feet. At that point, the alpine coaster differs from a roller coaster as the remainder of the ride is gravity-fed, with riders in control of two braking handles. Top speed is 27 miles per hour.
Visitors say they love the ride, but the biggest complaint so far is the crowds — even with a requirement for advance reservations on the weekends through mid-July. But there’s also room to spread out on the 6-acre attraction, which includes a clubhouse, observation deck and gift shop.
“We have been extremely busy,” said Ashley Brown with Wilderness Run. “We have had to change how we operate a few times and appreciate the public being understanding through this fluid situation.”
To help prevent spreading coronavirus, each sled is wiped down and sanitized in between riders. The owners also put in markers 6 feet apart in the ticket and ride lines to try to keep visitors socially distant.
What to do in the mountains
While Charlotte’s US National Whitewater Center is a really cool place to ride the rapids, sometimes you want the real deal.
In Banner Elk, there are a number of different wilderness adventure companies, including High Mountain Expeditions, which is right down the road from the coaster.
There you can raft the Nolichucky, Watauga or Wilson rivers. Prefer a slow float? Try tubing down the New River.
The Banner Elk area is near the Blue Ridge Parkway, so if you prefer a cooler hike than the Charlotte greenways, you have your choice of hundreds of trails. On some more remote trails, you possibly would not see another hiker.
Of course, there’s always fishing. Never fly fished before? There’s a company for that, as well. The Foscoe Fishing Company in Boone is a good stop for all of your gear and can hook you up (pun intended) with a guide.
Sugar Mountain Ski Resort is also open for the summer, with chairlift rides beginning July 3 and a bike park.
Where to stay
Right about now, you’re probably picturing a quiet, secluded cabin along a river or atop a mountain with views for miles. Sounds perfect. Apparently, a lot of people are looking for the same thing.
“The cabins are renting more now than ever. With parents working from home and most schools using online classes and now out for the summer, May and now June, we’re almost fully booked,” said Marsha Ruppard owner of Banner Elk Mountain Cabins.
This is much-needed relief for the hospitality industry in the mountains, where most everything was shut down for several weeks in March and April because of a short-term rental ban.
“Business is up from this time last year,” Ruppard said. She added customers are flocking to the mountains to avoid the crowds. “They have seen how crowded the beaches have become and figure there are more spaces in the mountains for social distancing and outdoor activities.
Despite the increase in business, customers remain concerned about COVID-19.
“I have spoken with all my guests about extra sanitizing procedures,” Ruppard said. “I follow the CDC’s recommendations for the hotel/motel industry. I also ask if they would prefer to bring their own linens and anything else they would like to have done to make them more comfortable staying in the cabins.”
Ruppard said customers are bringing needed supplies from home, avoiding unnecessary trips to the grocery and convenience stores.
These are just some ideas in the Boone/Banner Elk. There are so many other spots in the North Carolina mountains with other types of adventures and activities that enable you to have some fun, while staying six-feet apart.
