The Midwest region (particularly the upper Midwest) is definitely one of the most underrated regions of the United States to go for skiing vacation. If you’re looking for an inexpensive family skiing getaway or are planning to start-out skiing, you may find that the Midwest has many good opportunities.
Anyways, I happen to have some superb suggestions on top places to ski in the Midwest who are mainly for beginners but are also great for intermediate/advance levels. Okay, let’s get into them!
Wausau Area of Wisconsin
In the area around Wausau you’ll find a nice selection of ski areas where you can do tubing, cross-country skiing, and more. They include:
Granite Peak Ski Area
The ski area of Granite Peak is located in Rib Mountain State Park and it is the closest ski area to Wausau, which is great if you plan to stay in town. Granite Peak is definitely, one of the nicest ski areas in the Upper Midwest to take the family for a fun day out skiing.
Granite Peak has a nice variety of runs (mostly for novice skiing and snowboarding), a few black diamond ski runs, and a ski learning center for kids ($50 for 2 hours) and adults ($40 for 1 hour).
Nine Mile Forest X-C Ski Area
Nine Mile Forest is the best in the area for cross country skiing for a few reasons: the ski area has a ski patrol team, and all the trails are groomed and lighted at night, which means you can enjoy a bit of night riding.
Greenwood Hills Country Club
Greenwood Hills has always being is a nice place for cross country skiing and snowshoeing; though it’s a pity it isn’t free anymore since it used to be open to the public for free. Still, Greenwood Hills is still a cool place for a fun day out skiing if you don’t mind paying the membership, which costs around $80 for families and $40 for adults.
Big Eau Pleine Park
Big Eau Pleine Park is located in Green Valley, so it is a little further south from Wausau. however, the 30 minute-drive by car is definitely worth it since the park is fairly remote and boasts more challenging x-c trails, which is great if you want to up a notch the skiing level.
Standing Rock Park
Standing Rock Park is located not far from Stevens Point, which is further south of Wausau. Again, it’s also worth the drive since it has nice hills that are suitable for all level skiers.
In all, standing Rock is definitely a great place for downhill, tubing and cross country skiing. To access the x-c skiing trails it costs around $8, while downhill skiing and tubing on the slopes costs around $10 for the day.
Southern Wisconsin
Southern Wisconsin is another nice skiing area of the Midwest worth mentioning because it has some good resorts such as Alpine Valley Resort, Devil's Head Resort, and Grand Geneva Resort.
Okay, to give you a quick load-down on these resorts: They all have a ski school, which offer skiing and snowboarding lessons. The cheapest are Grand Geneva Resort and Alpine Valley who charge $25 for 2 hours. Devil’s Head charges $65 for 2 hours, though it includes the rental gear.
Afton Alps Ski Area, Hastings
What is there not to love about Afton Alps? Afton Alps Minnesota is most certainly, one of the best places to ski in the Midwest. It’s surrounded by the stunning scenery of the river valley and it’s also one of the largest ski areas in the Midwest (it boasts a few terrain parks, a huge snow tubing park and lots of groomed trails for novices and expert riders).
Ski lessons at Afton Alps are about $24 per hour so they aren't the cheapest, though you’re only a short drive from Twin Cities (which is a good/bad thing depending how look at it).
Alpine Valley Ski Area, White Lake
Alpine Valley Ski Area is located in one of the prettiest areas of southern Michigan and it’s the largest ski areas nearest to Detroit (about 50 minutes drive by car). There are a few more ski areas within the Metro Detroit area, though Alpine Valley has the largest terrain park with a 350ft long half pipe.
Good thing about Alpine Valley is that the lift ticket for the cheapest day pass ticket is about $30, which is quite a bargain for a ski area. Kids and adults can also learn to ski in Alpine Valley at a cost of $20 for adults (1 hour), and $30 for kids.
Mont Du Lac Recreation Area, Duluth
Mont du Lac is another top place to visit for a fun day of skiing with the family. The ski area offers beautiful views over the St Louis River and boasts lots of nice trails for snowshoeing.
Mont Du Lac has also nice hills for downhill skiing, snowboarding, and snow-tubing, as well as a kids club and night time skiing. It costs around $50 for a daily family pass, and you can also learn to ski there for around $20 (for 2 hours).