Industry News
Hatley Pointe is going into its second season under new ownership with new terrain and upgrades for the 2025-26 season that skiers and snowboarders should be excited about. The ski area is located in western North Carolina and wants to establish itself as the place to ski and snowboard in the Southeast. Hatley Pointe, nestled in the shadow of Big Bald Mountain, peaks at 4,700 feet and offers 54 acres of skiable terrain. It has a 700-foot vertical drop, 100% snowmaking capability, 21 lighted runs with 1 rope tow, 1 quad lift, and 2 surface lifts, and boasts some of the most challenging runs in the Southeast.
Two years ago, Deb Hatley, the owner of Hatley Pointe, purchased a 1970s-era ski resort that was in desperate need of improvements and upgrades and turned it into a premier ski destination in the Southeast. This included everything from building a new lodge, replacing water pipes, lifts, and anything else that a 50-year-old ski resort would need to get it up to standard. The repairs and upgrades were so major that Hatley Pointe was unable to open for its planned first season in 2023-24 and had to wait till last season to open.
- Related: You Can Upgrade Your Ski Pass to Priority Lift Access for $2,000 at This Vermont Ski Resort
All that hard work paid off, and when the resort opened last year, it featured a brand new modern lodge, top-notch dining options, upgraded snowmaking capabilities, and much more. However, the resort is still making upgrades and improvements to make Hatley Pointe the best ski area possible. Over the summer, mountain crews stayed busy expanding and upgrading terrain, enhancing technology for improved guests’ experiences, and building a revamped rail park with 32 features. For lodge and après amenities, Hatley added some exciting additions from new food and beverage options to a brand-new 21+ apres lounge that will feature a weekend DJ and overall bring an European style the resort is trying to impart at Hatley.
The resort also added 16 additional snowguns that have been placed based on data from past weather patterns to ensure maximum effectiveness and snow coverage. Hatley Pointe is finalizing its snow gun placement, water testing, and turning on its updated electrical infrastructure, which gives the mountain the ability to add guns to coveted slopes like the Bowl and Powder Hill. All upgrades and improvements are planned to be ready for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy for the 2025-2026 winter season. “I believe our guests will really see the attention to snowmaking and grooming this year, plus added carrying capacity with a brand-new rope tow dedicated to the terrain park, which will have features for beginners to advanced,” Deb Hatley, owner of Hatley Pointe, told SnowBrains. The ski area also installed a 400-foot magic carpet on Broadway that will give the beginners more options before committing to the summit lift. Hatley Pointe invested in two Piston Bully winch cats, which will increase its grooming and give crews the ability to work steeper slopes.
Continuously improving skiers’ and snowboarders’ experiences each year is key to making them want to return. Ensuring the customers are getting what they asked for involves listening to them. Hatley Pointe did listen, and this year there will be more beginner terrain available for first-time and novice skiers and snowboarders. Many runs have been regraded and widened by 10 to 15 feet, which will allow less congestion and make beginner skiers and snowboarders safer and comfortable on the mountain. “Pats-Way,” named after Patrick “Pat” Tait, Mountain Operations Manager at Hatley Pointe, is a new beginner trail that is all about building confidence and preparing for that trip to the top of the mountain. The off-ramps at the top of chairlifts can be scary for beginners, and the Mid-Station exit has been regraded to be less steep for getting off the lift for beginners. The overall goal is to make the progression from beginners to more advanced terrain easier for everyone at Hatley Pointe.
The new tree runs (glades) at Hatley Pointe are the first of their kind and should be an instant hit with skiers and snowboarders who want to try something other than groomers. “We’ve opened up areas through the trees, so now you can actually cut from one run to another. You might be on a slope, duck into the glades where snow drifts from the snow cannons, and pop out onto a different run—it all connects,” Tait said in a press release. The first section of The Glades will open between The Streaks (Lower & Upper), Eagle, Broadway, Slip-n-Slide, and Simply Savage. As mountain development continues, The Glades will expand further, eventually connecting with The Bowl, Southern Express, and Flameout.
Hatley Pointe also has a new ticketing and access management system, Axess. It is designed to make the process of purchasing multiple ticket types in one transaction easy. Lift tickets will be sold exclusively online, and guests can pick up their RFID-enabled pass by scanning the QR code from the guest’s confirmation email at one of the new pick-up boxes outside of the lodge labeled “Skiosks.”
The resort is also constructing three new buildings: A ski patrol building, a snowsports school, and the third building is anyone’s guess. The resort posted a video on its social media, leaving an Easter egg for viewers to try to guess what the third building will be used for. “You didn’t think we’d stop at new trails, did you? A new Ski Patrol, a new Snow School… and one more surprise we can’t share just yet. Stay tuned,” Hatley Pointe wrote in a Facebook post.
Another unknown for the upcoming season is whether or not Owner Deb Hatley was serious in a social media post saying that the resort would be building a half-pipe on the trail Streak. In the post, “Pat” Tait appeared unaware of the Deb Hatleys’ intention of building a half-pipe at the resort. A Southeast ski resort with a half-pipe would be something truly special, and skiers and snowboarders will have to wait to see what the new season has in store for Hatley Pointe.
Regardless of whether the half-pipe becomes a reality or not, there are a lot of exciting upgrades and improvements happening at Hatley Pointe for the 2025-26 ski season. Skiers, snowboarders, and guests will have the opportunity to check out new terrain, trails, upgraded snowmaking capabilities, and guests’ enhancements. Going only into their second year under new ownership, it is clear Hatley Pointe is making noise in the Southeast, and skiers and snowboarders in the region should be excited about it. “We are always looking for ways to create a more elevated, guest-centric resort, and it’s in the details for us, which you will see in every corner this year, from the lodge to the slopes,” Hatley said.
