Are there ski resorts that you can drive to in an evening from Atlanta, GA?

A friend (not yet on Travel.SE...) has recently moved out to Atlanta, Georgia, and was disappointed to discover quite how far it is from Atlanta to the big-name US ski resorts. (The perils of coming from the UK!)

However, Atlanta is fairly close to the start of the Appalachian mountains, and I believe that there may be some skiing somewhere amongst them!

What I don't know is if any of them are close enough that you could (say) leave work on a Friday, drive, and reach them in an evening. The question therefore is: are there any ski resorts that can be driven to from Atlanta in under 6 hours? Or is my friend's only option going to be to make a long weekend of it, and have to drive a lot further?

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Are there ski resorts that you can drive to in an evening from Atlanta, GA? - Modern massive snowcat with headlights driving and preparing slope for skiing in evening time

Are there ski resorts that you can drive to in an evening from Atlanta, GA? - From above long exposure traffic on modern highway elevated above ground level surrounded by urban constructions in evening

Are there ski resorts that you can drive to in an evening from Atlanta, GA? - Blue mopeds parked on empty road in countryside

Where is the closest ski resort to Atlanta?

The closest of the three ski resorts near Atlanta, GA, is Ober Gatlinburg. Located at 1339 Ski Mountain Road in Gatlinburg, TN, this impressively beautiful resort is a mere four-hour drive from Atlanta.

Is there any snow skiing in Georgia?

The Cataloochee Ski Area is located in Maggie Valley NC, 90 miles from Glen-Ella Springs. Cataloochee is one of the oldest ski resorts in the Southeast and features 18 runs. There is terrain to suit all skill levels including three expert runs. Trails are 44% Beginner, 39% Intermediate, and 17% Advanced to Expert.

Where does it snow near Georgia?

In the mountain regions and plains of southern Georgia, by contrast, winters are very frosty indeed. Popular mountain areas such as Svaneti, Racha and Kazbegi all see heavy snow from December onwards and below freezing temperatures. It can get as cold as -13 degrees Celsius in Mestia and January.

Does Georgia have good skiing?

Positioned around 120 kilometers from capital Tbilisi, Gudauri is Georgia's most popular skiing resort. Far and away Georgia's most popular resort, Gudauri is a 90-minute near-vertical drive north from the capital city of Tbilisi.

Solden ski resort review I Soelden I Sölden

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Athena, Алекке Блажин, Ruiyang Zhang, Midhun Madhu