The Midwest's 5 Best Ski Resorts, According To Skiers And Snowboarders

The Midwest is blessed to experience four distinct seasons in all their glory, but winter can get long, cold, and dreary. The key to surviving and making the most of the chilly months is to get out and play in the snow. Snowshoeing through the quiet forest, tubing down a hill with the family, building a snowman in the front yard, and, of course, skiing and snowboarding down tree-lined slopes, all help make the short days of winter enjoyable (and cozy cups of hot chocolate don't hurt, either).

The Midwest might not have the mile-high peaks of the Rockies — the North American mountain resorts with the deepest, freshest snow are all out West – or the dreamy gondola rides through jagged peaks that define winter in the Alps at spots like Arosa, a classic Swiss town hidden high in the mountains, offering cozy chalets, horse-drawn carriages, and scenic slopes. But the Midwest makes up for its lack of diverse topography with some truly pleasant and even impressive resorts. There's consistent quality snow, world-class terrain parks, and family-friendly runs for all levels. Not to mention that ripping up the hills in the Midwest is a more affordable ski trip, in both lift passes and travel expenses.

With winter firmly upon us and the snow falling, we scoured the internet, looking at testimonials across social media and snow reports to compile a list of the five best ski resorts in the Midwest, according to the skiers and snowboarders who know them best. From slopes along the Mississippi River to mountains with epic Lake Superior views, the following resorts in the Midwest prove that you don't need to book a flight to Austria; great skiing is right in your backyard.

Located up in northern Michigan, about 3.5 hours from Detroit, Boyne Mountain Resort is a premier skiing destination of the Midwest, with its amenities making it a great winter destination. Boyne has 10 lifts to bring skiers to its 65 runs that cater to all levels of skiers. The resort's snow-making capabilities ensure its 415 acres stay open as long as possible. The mountain features a respectable 500-foot vertical drop (the amount of elevation from the top of a peak to its base), but it's the world-class facilities that elevate Boyne to legendary status. The resort has everything. Boyne has a 4.5-star rating across 6,500 Google Reviews and is well-regarded on other platforms. "When I tell you we had the time of our lives we really did," wrote one individual on TripAdvisor. "Boyne mountain gets a 5/5 in every sense of the rating. There was a ton of ski runs of all difficulties." 

Visitors can find on-site accommodation options at the European-inspired Chalet Edelweiss, which is a ski-in-ski-out dream. The top of the mountain features the SkyBridge Michigan, a 1,200-foot timber-towered suspension bridge that arcs over several ski runs, offering breathtaking panoramic views. It's lit with 200,000 lights, making it especially beautiful at night. There's also mountaintop dining at the Eagle's Nest, where you can take in those broad vistas while enjoying a hearty meal. 

After spending the day ripping the slopes and getting your cheeks all rosy and windburnt, there's nothing better than relaxing in a sauna or hot tub. For the kids, there's the indoor waterpark at Avalanche Bay. Boyne Mountain is also home to the Alpine Oasis, one of Michigan's largest spas, where you can get a treatment, enjoy a steam, or kick back in the outdoor pool.

In western Illinois, around a 3-hour drive from Chicago near the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, lies Chestnut Mountain Resort, Illinois' hub of year-round adventure and stress-free relaxation. With 19 runs down 475 vertical feet, it's not the biggest mountain out there, but its location makes it a favorite for skiers not only from Illinois, but also from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. A place doesn't get a 4.5 rating across nearly 2,700 reviews on Google by accident. "If you haven't been to [C]hestnut and live within a couple hours, it's worth the trip," wrote one individual on Google Reviews.

The resort caters to families and is very beginner-friendly, while the more advanced riders can enjoy the renowned terrain park. With its advanced snowmaking, Chestnut Mountain's 220 acres are reliably open during the season and provide an average of 25 to 62 inches of snowy base. It's also one of the few places where you can carve down a slope while taking in views of the Mississippi River. When you're ready to take a break, grab a table at The Summit Food & Spirits restaurant for a handcrafted pizza and broad vistas.

Rooms are available at the lodge at Chestnut Mountain, but if you're looking for a higher-end hotel stay, check out the nearby town of Galena, an underrated Midwest town with cozy inns, local wineries, and historic charm. The storied and well-preserved downtown of Galena is truly quaint, authentic, and buzzing with shopping, restaurants, and a vibrant music scene. Come for the quality Midwest skiing at Chestnut Resort; stay for the ambience of the town and spots like the Galena Cellars Wine Tasting Room.

Cascade Mountain is an hour and a half from Milwaukee and near Wisconsin Dells, the water park capital of the world, and an iconic Midwest gem perfect for families. If you really wanted to, you could turn a visit to Cascade into a full-spectrum family trip combining days of skiing and swimming. 

As a mountain, Cascade does a lot well, with a full-service ski shop, rentals, lessons, and the resort's family-friendly nature. "We [visit] Cascade Mountain Ski Resort every year, and it is one of the most family-friendly ski trips," one person wrote on Google Reviews. Children under 12 get a free lift ticket when accompanied by an adult. There are 11 lifts that service 48 runs that go from easy bunny slopes to mogul-filled black diamond challengers, and much of it is lit up for night skiing. There are also three terrain parks to practice your frontside lipslides on the rails and melon grabs off the jumps.

With even more family amenities, after skiing, you and the kids can enjoy snow tubing down the Cascades' 900-foot chute. There's even a lift back to the top, so you can skip the worst part of tubing, which is tromping back up. For the youngsters who are too young or don't want to ski, there's the fenced-in Polar Park zone, where kids can sled and build snowmen without parents having to worry they'll wander into ski traffic. The rentable ski-in-ski-out day cabins are also great for groups or families during breaks or lunch, so you don't have to battle for a table in a crowded lodge. On your way in or out, swing through the quaint town of Portage nearby for breakfast at the Portage Cafe or a cozy dinner at the highly-rated Cimaroli's Supper Club.

Crystal Mountain is another spot in northern Michigan (3.5 hours from Detroit). It's not the tallest peak in the world, with a 375-foot vertical, but in proper Midwest ski resort fashion, it makes the most of what it's got and is one of the top-rated family ski resorts in the country. Since it isn't a towering behemoth, it's perfect for youngsters and beginners, offering free skiing for kids under 6, highly-rated ski schools, beginner zones, and plenty of kid-friendly winter activities. 

Of course, its 59 runs are balanced with plenty of challenging, advanced terrain for those who want some speed and technicality. It's got three terrain parks, six chairlifts, and a portion of its 100 acres is lit up for night skiing. Being a family resort, Crystal Mountain offers everything for a full-fledged vacation. One visitor's advice on TripAdvisor was, "Take advantage of the multiple things the resort has to offer [—] the spa, the ski school, and the shops are all first rate." 

There are various lodging options, including a roomy townhome on the hill, cottages amongst the trees, or a hotel room near the action. You can also find restaurants like the Scottish-themed Thistle. In the heart of Crystal Mountain, there's the Peak Fitness Center, which features an indoor pool and hot tub. For true relaxation on a chilly day, there's the 18,500-square-foot Crystal Spa. Ranked in the top 100 spas in the nation by Spas of America, it's the perfect spot to recover after your first ski days of the season. What Crystal Mountain lacks in vertical drop, it makes up for by being an all-encompassing destination. Once you're there, the car can stay in the parking space the entire weekend as you and the family have a memorable winter vacation.

There's a bit of friendly contention with Michiganders when it comes to calling the locations of Boyne or Crystal Mountains "northern Michigan." While they are hours north of Detroit, the area is south of the entire Upper Peninsula. Way up in the Upper Peninsula is another peninsula called the Keweenaw, which reaches into Lake Superior. Near the northern tip is the legendary Mount Bohemia, where Midwest skiing is more affordable and scenic than ever.

Being on a peninsula in the middle of the world's largest lake by surface freshwater means Mount Bohemia gets buried in lake-effect snow — 273 inches, according to Visit Keweenaw. That translates to 22 feet of the white stuff every year. While Crystal Mountain is beginner-friendly, Mount Bohemia is designed for high-level riders only. It's the tallest vertical in the Midwest, standing at 900 feet, and is the only place in the region that isn't groomed. That means it has ridiculously deep snow and is a powder paradise, with backcountry runs through dreamily quiet forests where every branch and pine is covered in a fluffy several-inch layer of wispy snow. It's routinely mentioned on the r/snowboarding subreddit, with many commenting on how epic it is for the Midwest, with Redditors cracking jokes like, "Bohemia is so extreme, the drinking fountains dispense Red Bull, not water."

There are yurts on site for rent, or you could stay nearby in Houghton, Michigan (about an hour away). There's been a lot of work on the facilities in recent years, with a new Nordic Spa offering various saunas and hot pools, as well as a pizza restaurant and bar. Bohemia is in the north of the north. Getting there is no joke, but if you're a high-level snowboarder or skier who enjoys powder, it is the premier spot in the Midwest.

The number and quality of Midwest ski resorts surprise even lifelong Midwesterners. To curate this list of the five best ski resorts in the Midwest, we first looked at online rankings from various winter sport-focused platforms like On the Snow. Those rankings were then cross-referenced with Reddit boards, Google Reviews, and testimonials on TripAdvisor to ensure we were hearing what skiers and snowboarders themselves had to say. 

The total number and substance of written reviews played a major role in our decision-making process. Another factor was choosing five resorts with some level of geographic diversity, and not five spots in the same state (Michigan itself has over 40 ski areas, for example). And finally, the ranking was influenced by personal experience, since the writer is a Michigander (a Yooper even) who grew up snowboarding the Northern Midwest and spent a few winters as an instructor.