The Best Ski Resorts in Minnesota: An Expert's Guide

Are you looking for the best ski resorts in Minnesota? Look no further! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about where to ski in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. From the Lutsen Mountains to Spirit Mountain, we'll cover all the top ski resorts in Minnesota and what they have to offer. The Lutsen Mountains are one of the most popular ski resorts in Minnesota. With four interconnected mountains, a gondola, and an average of 10 feet of snow each season, it's no wonder why.

The resort has 95 named slopes, mostly intermediate in nature, and a state-of-the-art snow manufacturing system. The Caribou Express is perfect for long blue cruises, while Iron Mountain offers steeper and more difficult double black diamonds. Spirit Mountain is located in the suburbs of Duluth and is perfect for a quick getaway. It has seven elevators that serve a 700-foot vertical drop, the second highest in the Midwest.

The 22 slopes have seven ski lifts and are generally intermediate to beginner trails, making it great for skiers of all levels. The hostel offers a place to warm up on a cold day and five different dining options. You can even take your bike up the chairlift and ride down one of three designated descents. Giants Ridge is located near Biwabik and has 35 named slopes scattered across the mountain.

Nearly three-quarters of the tracks are rated for beginners or intermediates, but there are still plenty of challenging terrain options. The vertical drop is 500 feet and there are five chairlifts. There are two terrain parks - Placid Terrain Park for beginners and Garmisch for larger jumps and wide rails and boxes. You can also take your bike up the chairlift and ride down one of three designated descents or ride on flat terrain on the 37 miles of cross-country ski trails located in the base area.

Coffee Mill Ski Area is great if you don't want to lose any members of your group as all the slopes descend to a point at the bottom. There are two main chairs that will take you back to the top quickly. Welch Village is located less than an hour from Minneapolis-Saint Paul and has 50 named trails with a 360 foot vertical drop and 11 lifts. Night skiing is available on all slopes until 9pm.

Wild Mountain is just over an hour northeast of Minneapolis-Saint Paul on the banks of the St. There are 26 tracks that descend through a 300-foot vertical drop with four chairlifts and night skiing available until 9pm. Powder Ridge is approximately 1.5 hours northwest of Minneapolis-Saint Paul in Kimball with five ski lifts and 15 slopes. Mount Kato is 1.5 hours south of Minneapolis-Saint Paul in Mankato with 19 tracks, eight chairlifts, two surface lifts, and night skiing available until 9pm. On the list of best ski resorts in Minnesota, Lutsen Mountains comes first with 3.2 out of 5 stars.

The highest ski resorts for skiing in Minnesota extend to an altitude of 560 meters (Giants Ridge). And our tip for getting the best value for money is Giants Ridge ski resort.