History
The History of SugarTop Resort
Perched high above the North Carolina High Country, SugarTop Resort is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Standing atop Little Sugar Mountain at an elevation of approximately 5,000 feet, the ten-story condominium tower dominates the skyline and can be seen from miles away throughout Avery County and portions of the surrounding High Country. Whether admired as an engineering achievement or debated as a controversial mountain development, SugarTop has become one of the most famous structures in North Carolina's mountain region.
Building a Skyscraper on a Mountain
When plans were announced for SugarTop Resort, the project immediately attracted attention.
Unlike traditional mountain lodges or low-rise condominium developments, SugarTop was designed as a ten-story high-rise condominium tower containing approximately 320 units.
The structure would be built directly on a mountain ridgeline at one of the highest elevations in the region.
At the time, constructing a building of this scale in such a remote mountain environment presented enormous engineering challenges.
Developers established temporary construction facilities on-site, including concrete production operations, to manufacture many of the precast concrete components used in the building's construction. The massive concrete panels were assembled and erected on the mountaintop, creating a structure unlike anything previously seen in Western North Carolina.
Construction began in the early 1980s, and the building officially opened in 1983.
From an engineering standpoint, the project was remarkable. From a visual standpoint, it quickly became one of the most debated buildings in North Carolina.
The Controversy That Changed North Carolina
Not everyone welcomed the project.
As construction progressed, many residents, environmental advocates, conservation groups, and mountain property owners expressed concerns about the visual impact of such a large structure on a mountain ridgeline.
Critics argued that the building dramatically altered the natural mountain landscape and created a precedent for similar high-rise developments throughout Western North Carolina.
The controversy grew rapidly and attracted statewide attention.
At the center of the debate was a simple question:
Should developers be allowed to build large structures on mountain ridges that define North Carolina's scenic character?
The discussion became one of the most significant land-use debates in the state's history.
From Controversial Development to High Country Icon
Time has a way of changing perspectives.
While SugarTop initially generated intense debate, it has gradually become an accepted and familiar part of the High Country landscape.
Today, the building serves as one of the area's most sought-after vacation destinations.
Its location provides convenient access to:
- Sugar Mountain Ski Resort
- Sugar Mountain Golf Club
- Banner Elk
- Grandfather Mountain
- The Blue Ridge Parkway
- Beech Mountain
- Boone
- Blowing Rock
- Appalachian State University
- Lees-McRae College
Many visitors who stay at SugarTop are drawn by the same feature that originally inspired its construction: unparalleled mountain views.
The building's elevated location offers a perspective few other properties can match.
The story of SugarTop begins long before the tower itself was built.
The Sugar Mountain area began developing as a recreational and ski destination in the late 1960s. Following the creation of Sugar Mountain Ski Resort in 1969, the area quickly became one of the premier winter recreation destinations in the southeastern United States.
As the popularity of the resort grew, developers envisioned increasingly ambitious projects that would capitalize on the mountain's spectacular views and year-round tourism appeal.
Throughout the 1970s, Sugar Mountain experienced significant real estate development, including condominiums, golf course communities, and resort amenities. By the early 1980s, developers sought to create a landmark project unlike anything ever built in the North Carolina mountains.
Their vision became SugarTop Resort.
A Landmark Visible for Miles
When plans were announced for SugarTop Resort, the project immediately attracted attention.
Unlike traditional mountain lodges or low-rise condominium developments, SugarTop was designed as a ten-story high-rise condominium tower containing approximately 320 units.
The structure would be built directly on a mountain ridgeline at one of the highest elevations in the region.
At the time, constructing a building of this scale in such a remote mountain environment presented enormous engineering challenges.
Developers established temporary construction facilities on-site, including concrete production operations, to manufacture many of the precast concrete components used in the building's construction. The massive concrete panels were assembled and erected on the mountaintop, creating a structure unlike anything previously seen in Western North Carolina.
Construction began in the early 1980s, and the building officially opened in 1983.
The Creation of the North Carolina Ridge Law
The public reaction to SugarTop helped lead directly to the passage of the North Carolina Mountain Ridge Protection Act, commonly referred to as the "Ridge Law."
Enacted in the early 1980s, the legislation established restrictions on construction along prominent mountain ridgelines throughout Western North Carolina.
The law generally limits the height of structures built on protected mountain ridges and prevents future developments similar to SugarTop from being constructed in many mountain locations.
As a result, SugarTop became both the beginning and the end of an era.
It was one of the last major high-rise mountain ridge developments of its kind and remains one of the most cited examples in discussions about mountain conservation and development in North Carolina.
Today, many historians, planners, and conservation advocates point to SugarTop as the catalyst that changed how mountain development is regulated across the state.
SugarTop Resort Today
More than four decades after its completion, SugarTop remains one of the most unique condominium properties in the southeastern United States.
The resort continues to attract vacationers seeking cool summer temperatures, spectacular fall foliage, winter skiing, and year-round outdoor recreation.
What was once one of the most controversial buildings in North Carolina has become one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Love it or hate it, SugarTop Resort occupies a unique place in North Carolina history.
Few buildings can claim to have changed state law, transformed mountain development policies, and become an enduring symbol of a destination all at the same time.