Skiing your way through winter

Finding a fun activity that keeps you active and outdoors can be tricky during the long, cold winter months. If you want something to spice up your winter days, I recommend taking a day to ski or snowboard. However, there are many places to choose from, so I will break down my favorite ski hills in Minnesota.

Lutsen Mountains is home to Minnesota’s best ski/snowboarding terrain. They offer runs for beginners to advanced skiers/snowboarders, making it accommodating to people of every level. A fun aspect about Lutsen is that they have a gondola that brings you from one part of the mountain to the next and they have a chalet that can only be reached by taking the gondola. The chalet has a restaurant and a porch overlooking Lake Superior, presenting guests with a picturesque view. Lutsen also has a resort connected to the hills, making it a convenient stay for visitors. As for the skiable terrain, Lutsen is entertaining and has tons of different runs with around 1000 skiable acres. They are the largest ski resort in Minnesota and I have never been bored since there are so many trails. A downside to Lutsen Mountains is the distance from Park. The drive up there takes around four hours, making it a challenging place to go for a day trip. However, if you are looking for a fun place to spend a long weekend ski trip and don’t want to travel all the way to Montana or Colorado, Lutsen is the closest thing you will get to mountain skiing while staying in our state.

Mount Kato in Mankato, Minnesota is always a fun option if you are looking for an adventurous day on the slopes—it is a great place for beginner to advanced skiers. Although they don’t have overly challenging terrain, they have a relatively steep front run that is more friendly to intermediate and advanced skiers. However, they are also inclusive to beginners, even housing a bunny hill with a chairlift. This is convenient for anyone wanting to practice using a chairlift without worrying about taking challenging runs. They have plenty of options, with 19 different runs, giving guests lots of variety. It is one of my favorite places to race, but I recommend it for people looking to ski casually.

Wild Mountain is a little over an hour’s drive from Park. Located in Taylors Falls, Minnesota, they have plenty of skiable spaces for beginners and intermediate-advanced skiers alike. They have several runs with considerably steep pitches, including one they label as a double-black diamond, meaning experts only. It is a family-friendly area with lots of options for everyone. They have a restaurant and bar upstairs in their chalet for anyone looking for a bite to eat after spending the day on the slopes. Wild Mountain also has snow tubing, another fun way to pass your time. On another note, they also have several summer attractions, including a water park, alpine slides, go-karts and the “freefallxp,” so keep that in mind for when the warmer months come around.

Welch Village in Welch, Minnesota, is another one of my favorite ski hills, though I don’t go there as often as I wish. While they do have beginner terrain, they also have runs that are quite steeper and definitely more fun, in my opinion. It is a large area with 140 skiable acres, 60 trails and nine chairlifts. While the main area offers many black diamond (More Difficult) runs, they also have what they call “The Back Bowl,” which is marked as experts only and contains black diamond and double-black diamond (most difficult) runs. Unfortunately, getting there takes a little over an hour, making it not the most convenient place.

Spirit Mountain is located in Duluth, Minnesota, which is about a two-and-a-half hour drive from Park. Despite the trek, it has a stunning view and lots of recreational options. They have 22 alpine trails, 175 acres of skiable terrain and five chairlifts. With plenty of difficulty levels available to guests, it is a fun option for anyone. There are several on-site restaurants, and over the summer they offer alpine slides, sightseeing, hiking and mountain biking. If you are looking for a good place to stay while enjoying your time at Spirit Mountain, they offer what they call “Mountain Villas” right at the top of the hill. The villas are spacious and cozy, and are a convenient place to relax after a full day of activities. Located up by the North Shore, Spirit Mountain offers tons of outdoor activities regardless of the season.

If you are looking for a ski hill less than a half hour away from Park, check out Buck Hill in Burnsville, Minnesota. Although it is considerably smaller than the other ski hills, it is also much closer and can be a fun place to spend time without as much travel. They offer beginner to intermediate runs and terrain parks that range from beginner to advanced, depending on when you go. It is typical for races or other competitions to be going on while you are there, so you might be slightly limited in where you can ski, although it has never been too big of a problem for me. Buck Hill has two chalets as well as several restaurants and a bar. The Buck ‘54 Bar & Grill is a fun place to eat after a long day of skiing and is located in the northernmost chalet. Overall, it’s a great place to go if you are looking for someplace local. Additionally, a fun fact about Buck Hill: It is the place where Lindsey Vonn (a World Cup alpine racing champion) got her racing start as a kid.