My family and I went there this morning, 2/21/07. What a HUGE DISSAPOINTMENT Hawksnest is!!! We checked out the slopes as best we could from the sidelines (since you can't go out there without a ticket) and decided since it wasn't crowded, we'd go for it. BIG MISTAKE! We paid $60 for the 3 of us for 1/2 day tix. After strapping on our snowboards and hitting the slopes, we found out why it was so empty! Every slope is extremely rough, unmanicured, covered with large ice chunks, and other areas are totally slushy making for extremely dangerous conditions. My husband and son who are experienced said it was "rough and terrible".
We went in and complained to the manager. He was unsympathetic and acted like we were crazy. We asked him if he would swap our lift tickets for tubing tickets since we'd only been out there 30 minutes and the slope conditions were really bad. HE REFUSED AND WAS RUDE.
So, we left there quite unhappy and feeling ripped off.
Don't waste your time and money at this place. You'll regret it!

Not a bad place to spend a day. The crowds are lighter and the prices lower than the two larger resorts in the area. The terrain is nicely varied, but shorter in run length. The lift is not a high speed, but still faster than Sugar. You could do worse than Hawksnest.

CAUTION! Check the slope before you pay. Dangerous conditions when blowers are blowing ice in your face. They will open even if the grounds are rocky and icy. My child fractured his clavicle. Even after bringing it to the attention of the manager, he refused to give a refund or a raincheck for the next day.

This ski area is all about the skiing! The base area is sparse, to say the least, but it has a very comfortable feel. It's not glitzy, it's more homey. We were on our way to Banner Elk to some of the bigger ski areas and just decided to see what Hawksnest was like when we saw the sign. After seeing it we decided to ski there for the day. We loved it! If you're looking for the "resort" experience this is definitely not the place for you (but then neither is any place in NC) but if you want a local-flavored ski area operated by skiers, you might just enjoy this little place.
The staff was very friendly and the lifts were attended by hippies. This is as it should be! Everyone, I mean EVERYONE we made contact with seemed genuinely glad we were there and wanted us to have a good day on their snow. Sure, the terrain is limited (read "small") but what this place lacks in size it makes up for in heart. The ticket price is reasonable. We had no complaints except that the kids wanted to stay and do some tubing but it had warmed up and the snow was getting too soft for a really good tube ride. We will definitely be back.