Our first time at Cascade Mountain and it exceeded what we expected for the area. More runs than expected and plenty of variety to meet the needs of our experienced skiers and boarders and lots of runs for the beginner to novice as well. Most of the staff was fabulous and the ski patrol is always easy to find and can be seen regularly on the slopes and the lifts. The lift operators were a little terse, but everyone else was great. If the warm weather is shutting down other ski hills, then make sure to come here, new renovations and more slopes as well as 100% snow making ability makes this a go to place in our books for dealing with unpredictable weather and prebooked travel plans. We didn't eat while there so unfortunately I can't comment on the food, other than the hot cider that I enjoyed while looking out of the lodges large windows overlooking the slopes. read more

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Rude lift attendants. I'm sure Cascade is decent enough for the area and I even recall having fun skiing there when I was younger. Although, there is often more cross-country skiing/ski skating than downhill skiing due to the long expanses of flat areas. That aside, one of the lift attendants was particularly rude and it still bothers me, which is why you get to read this one-star review. It seems my facemask had come down when skiing downhill. Upon seeing this, a particular lift attendant *screamed* at me to pull it up even though I was still 6 feet from anyone else. The way he yelled like he was publicly scolding someone was pretty annoying. However, it got worse. As I immediately tried removing my glove to fix my mask and not less than 2 seconds later after the first scolding, he screamed, "Do it now!" like he was scolding a child. Rude. Very rude. Completely rude. This is despite the fact that I am extremely cautious about COVID and wear a Vogmask, which is rated much higher than any generic cloth mask (look it up). Heck, I was even worried about my parents eating in the chalet, as there were many people hanging out inside, lounging around, not wearing facemasks even when they were not eating or drinking. Not to mention I have to walk through those COVID infested areas to use the restroom. I guess that's why the attendant's rudeness got to me so much, as I am one of the most conscientious people I know about COVID, possibly because my best friend had a lung transplant a little over a year ago, and would be a guaranteed corpse if he caught it. Cascade: Please advise your employees to not be rude. I don't know what that lift attendant's issue was, but he should see a psychiatrist for some meds about his anger problems. read more

Their business model obviously is not based on customer service and customer retention. Just one interaction with anybody that works here and you'll see that they care not for anything other than collecting their over-priced lift ticket sales. They're not at all for building lasting customer relations or consumer loyalty they're simply chasing the open wallets of the never-ending lines of FIBS. They simply provide the FIBS with their substandard service knowing they're just here today and gone tomorrow. Bottom line, this place is packed with FIBS. If that doesn't sound like a fun day out, avoid this place at all cost. Better places further off I90 without all the land of lincoln license plates read more

I'm not sure why other reviewers feel the need to point out that Cascade is a hill and not a mountain. I understand it's in the name, but regardless. This is the same thing as finding out a mock chicken leg really isn't chicken. What?! No!! Anyways, Cascade is good for a hill in WI. The snow is great, could use a few more high speed lifts, though. Food stinks, bring your own. I love the bar mid-hill, only downside is it closes at 4:30. Only thing that sort of bugged me was some of the lift operators didn't speak or understand any English. What if there was an emergency and the message couldn't be relayed because of a language barrier? Oh, and the terrain park is a lot smaller than it used to be. read more

Cascade Mountain - Ski Resorts Near Me - Portage, Wisconsin

We We have been coming here for years with our class until I see disabled students and they've been very commonly new to us this year was absolutely horrible there was no accommodation there is no consideration there was no room for our students and they treated us is if they didn't care that we were . We paid 1,000 dollars to take our field trip and are extremely disappointed!! there were not enough tubes , there was not enough help no soap in the bathrooms and our. teachers were rudely reprimanded for moving the waiver form to a clear area as our class did not have room to sit and eat they did not have enough room to move around, we were told there was not a capacity limit and were told that we should have asked about the capacity! We will NOT be returning!!!! read more

Today is opening day at Cascade and they are NOT prepared. The folks answering the phone are not able to address your questions in a timely manner (it took over 20 minutes), Cascade will charge season pass holders MORE money, just to ski on opening day and everything feels disorganized. I SURE hope staff on the hill do better... Cascade has had Summer and Fall to prepare and yet, they are not. Very disappointing! read more

For the Midwest, this is a nice spot to ski. We were driving from the south suburbs of Chicago, and it took exactly 3 hours of a drive. This season they have a new lift with new runs on the east side of their ski mountain. It does not yet have lights, so it is only open during the daytime hours. There were three new runs, which were longer than the other blue runs. I decided to hop in on a class in the morning, and I am glad I did it, as it has been a couple years since I've hit the slopes. Erica was the instructor and she was fantastic. After the group lesson I felt a lot more comfortable and skied the rest of the afternoon. read more

We took the girls to "snow tubing", we all had a blast. Great place! Staff is very friendly. Food and drinks are available for purchase. read more

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For skiing close to Chicago, this place is the best. I can't believe the lower star reviews on here comparing it to places in the Alps, that's totally ridiculous. The runs are fun, the people are kind, bring a lunch if you don't want standard snack bar fare. We drive up from chicago, ski from 1pm-8pm and then stop in Madison for dinner on the way back down. It's hardly ever packed, though we've never been on a Saturday. Pro tip: go on a Sunday during football season when the Packers are playing, you'll have most runs to yourself. We're really lucky to have this place nearby. (Granted, we stick to the green hills and some light blues, but life is all about your attitude. Have fun!) read more

So awesome for my kids. We all learned to snowboard here. Great place to get them ready for our big trip out west. The high speed quad lift allows us to get plenty of laps. Love it! read more

Cascade Mountain - Ski Resorts Near Me - Portage, Wisconsin

If you'd like to pay for rentals in one building, walk to another building to get the rentals, then walk to another building to get your lift tickets, cascade mountain is the place to be! No terrain park, just hills. If you're name is Chad and you like shredding the gnar like me... go to devils head. read more

Snowboarded here TWO times this winter (January and March, 2012). My third year on a board (after about 20 on skis), my teenage daughter's 4th year on a board. We go to Wilmot "Mountain" in southeast Wisconsin each season, weekly. Cascade is similar to Granite Peak (Wausau, WI) in terms of size, runs, trees, lifts, overall experience. Of course, it's literally 100 miles closer to us, in Waukegan/Gurnee, than Granite Peak. We paid $175 for TWO 2-day lift tickets at Cascade, for Saturday March 3 and Sunday March 4, 2012. Not bad. If you are stuck skiing/riding at a place like Wilmot, Cascade will seem like the Rockies - minus the exorbitant lift prices and travel expenses. As in, you go up a lift and take two or three trails to get back down - but you did NOT pay $99 a day for your lift ticket (and several hundred in airfare). They have one "high-speed" lift, but the enormous line for it makes the nearby "regular" lifts almost as fast (and not so angst-ridden for snowboarders who aren't the most graceful getting off a chair, especially when shoved in a middle seat between 3 or 4 skiers!). Cascade is set up in two basic sections. To the right (as you're facing the mountain) are the wider, more open runs - served by the high-speed lift, which tends to make them a bit more crowded. Really fun interconnecting runs! But if you want great skiing/riding without the crowd, head a little to the left! Or, if you're brand new, go to the "School Marm" lift all the way to the right and spend some time on the bunny hill. The "Mogul" lift - which could possibly be the SLOWEST in the western hemisphere - takes you almost to the same point the high-speed (crowded) lift does. You can get to every single run from this lift (if you have checked the map). Just bring a snack, and maybe a DVD player - maybe I'm exaggerating (a little). Head off even more to the left (while facing up the mountain from the bottom) and there's another lift that's pretty quick and drops you off directly on the path to 4 black diamonds AND the trail to "FAR OUT" - a really nice green run around the outside of Cascade (and next to the Tubing Area). Come down any one of those runs and you can get on an almost-unused lift and take up to all of those runs again. As we all know, a black diamond at Cascade may not be the same difficulty level as a black diamond somewhere else. That said...black diamonds at Cascade are "doable" and challenging for me (a 43-year-old woman in her 3rd season of riding), REALLY fun for my daughter (a 17-year-old in her 4th season of riding who loves going FAST), and apparently AWESOME for all those fearless skiers and boarders who embrace every curve, bump and tree in their path. I have no problem going down on my heels if a run looks too challenging - at Cascade. Pretty sure I can't so THAT at Jackson Hole or Steamboat without causing major problems, or an emancipation lawsuit from my daughter. Cascade Mountain provides a fantastic ski/snowboard experience for just about anyone in the Midwest. The overall atmosphere at Cascade is non-threatening, fun, welcoming. Plenty of skilled skiers and riders, with an abundance of encouragement for everyone. read more

If you've ever actually been to a mountain, then you would realize that Cascade "Mountain" is a total misnomer because it's really just a hill. Before Cascade, I've only snowboarded in Lake Tahoe and the Alps, where there are actual mountains (think true-up vertical descent of 2000+ ft vs 700 ft = Cascade). But as I'm now living in Chicago & didn't seem to really have any other choice (unless I wanted to spend $$$$ and fly out somewhere), I decided to go ahead and check out Cascade anyway (with very low expectations) since it was better than sitting on my couch. As I expected when I arrived, the hill was tiny and the runs were short. There is no ski 'resort', just a couple of buildings for food & rental. I went during MLK weekend, so it was pretty crazy packed, but I was told it's usually a lot less people. The snow was actually pretty good. I was impressed that it never really got icy (I suppose that's also because it was pretty warm - in the high 30's - while I was there). No one ever checked our lift tickets until past 6pm when they were checking if people had night-ski tickets. My friend & I had an 8 hour pass and we just kept skiing until one of the staff checked our tickets :P The night ski is pretty well lit. Overall, the experience was mediocre, as long as you're not expecting anything amazing (especially if you've actually skied on a mountain before). I can see this as a great place for beginners. My only real major complaint is that I spent more than half my time there in line for the lifts and on the lifts themselves. My friend and I actually timed ourselves - we were always taking the Mongul Monster and the lift took 5 MINUTES (not including time when it stops, which it ALWAYS does), and then it takes us about 2 minutes on average to come down the slopes (we were taking black diamonds coming down). Because of this, you barely get to enjoy your run before the rush & adrenaline is over and you have to stop and get back in line. For this reason, my friend & I cut our trip short and left after one day, instead of staying for 2 as we originally planned, because it just got too boring. TLDR -Not a mountain, but a hill -Don't expect much and you wont be disappointed -Super super slow & old lifts and super super short runs read more

My family and friends always come out here on Christmas Eve/Day for cheap snowboarding/skiing. This year however, they wouldn't give us a discount (outside of the group discount) like they have in the past, so poo poo on them. Still.... $47/person for both lift and rental is quite a good deal... I find the runs to be pretty good/decently long considering it's the Midwest, although a black diamond here would probably be considered a green circle out west. What I like about Cascade is the quality of their equipment. Much of it if fairly new, well taken care of, and the staff if very knowledgeable. Cascade also offers lessons for beginners, and I like how they don't make you put down hundreds as a deposit for snowboarding. In fact, you can easily switch between the two should you get sick of skiing/snowboarding. Oh, they also have an area for tubing (extra charge) if you're not the skiing/snowboarding type. I haven't tried myself, but it does look like a lot of fun. I always have a great time when I come here. read more

The best bang for the buck in the extended Chicago area. Also, kids ski for free! I've been here several times over the years and I've always had a good time. The best thing is that it's only about 2.5 hours away from home but has the best facilities, lifts, and slopes for the low prices. Sure there are other places much closer to Chicago but the glaciers have decimated the terrain further south to little more than hills long ago making for lackluster skiing. Sure Cascade is still little more than a hill as well but it's a bigger hill and they have a decent variety of terrain for this flatland we live in. The best way to get good lift/rental combos is to purchase in advance through their website, if you are able to plan ahead. There can be some really good deals especially towards the beginning and end of the season. There is a decent sized bar at the main lodge but it always gets packed. They were smart enough to open up one side of the bar as an ordering area for those who are seated in the main dining area so there's never much of a wait to get boozed between sessions. Food here... well, it sucks. Try to bring your own food if possible or take a trip into town for something edible because the food is atrocious AND expensive. The expensive part I can understand but the quality shouldn't have to suffer. I've seen a lot of people just bring loaves of bread and sandwich meat to munch on at lunch, which is not a bad idea. My favorite slope is the Badger Bowl. It's a swift drop into a tight right hander that lets you get leaned over pretty good for some lateral Gs. read more

We did the learn to turn package and the instructor was so helpful since I had never been on a snowboard before. The lifts were easy to use and the attendants were all friendly and helpful. Rentals were good quality and easy to use. I'm so glad this was my first experience snowboarding. I look forward to coming back in the future. read more

I took the wife and 11 year old up last Friday (took the day off). They have been skiing for 6 years and are capable skiers to anything in the MidWest. Also along for the trip my drinking - oops I meant my skiing buddy who like myself, has been skiing for the better part of the last 30+ years. In any case we opted to go to Cascade over Devils Head because we recieved free passes as a Christmas gift. I had no problem with Cascade because I lined up my long boards and lets face it - Cascade is more of a place for speed then Devils Head. In any case - we went on a Friday instead of mid week because I didn't want to deal with the a closed bar (at the top slope) and half the lifts left not running. Unfortunately despite many people on the slopes, most everything was closed down. Service was less then stellar. The base (main) bar kicked us out because we had a 11 year old. They said "State regulations". So what? we have to go sit in the cafeteria then - no thanks! We went to a second story bar in a building next door. Empty and boring - also expensive! The bon fire pit just smoldered all day and we just never got into the skiing spirit. Frankly despite it being more challenging then Devil's Head, for the overall experience as an adult as well as with children, Cascade doesn't cut it. We'll head to Devils Head, Alpine and Wausau for our MidWest skiing from here on out. read more

This year I hit three of southern/central Wisconsin skiing places - Alpine Valley, Cascade, and Devil's head, so I thought I'd compare them all real quick... took 3 hours to get here from the western burbs.. same as cascade. it has the best quickest, best rental setup - grab your own boots. Girls remember to pick one size smaller. renters Can switch from skis to boards for no charge, a nice perk This might be the best for families with younger children because they offer free lift tickets for children 12 & under with paid adult ticket Nice fireplace cafe area where they sell Starbucks coffee. good enough snack areas. Decent runs, short lines. We got our lift tickets discounted through a package deal we got with our hotel where we stayed in the Dells. Definitely worth checking out. For beginners the tiny magic carpet area seemed like it was for tiny baby children only, all the other adult learners ride a small regular read more

I usually go skiing at least once every winter. I had tried snowboarding once before but couldn't quite pick it up and stumbled down. This winter I was determined to learn and still had no luck after my boyfriend spent a day trying to teach me the basic heel and toe stop. I decided it was time to take a lesson. I scheduled a private 1 hour lesson at Cascade for $50 and my trainer was probably only like 14 maybe 16 years old at most. I am in my twenties so at first I was a little uneasy about the whole idea. He was fantastic though. He knew right away what I was doing to cause myself to fall and gave me tips on how to control and navigate the board better. He was also very motivating and encouraging. By the time my lesson ended I not only could do the heel and toe stop but also start turning side-to-side. Since then I've been able to go boarding more and I'm trying to pick up carving now. I think it was an excellent $50 spent. Now to the actual trails, I really like Cascade because it has many green runs. Since I'm not a dare devil myself I don't really need black diamonds and double blacks. Last year when we went to Granite Peak I realized I was able to use very little of the mountain since majority of the trails were blue and blacks. Not to say there aren't any blue/blacks at Cascade but there is still a good amount of green and the driving distance to Cascade is significantly closer than Granite Peak from Chicago. I've also been to Wilmot and Devil's Head and like Cascade better. My boyfriend prefers Cascade over Chestnut Mountain too. The nice thing about Cascade is that it's located about 20 min from Wisconsin Dells so when we go we always stay at a resort with an indoor waterpark. read more

We have been to cascade on multiple occasions and have to say it is GREAT ski resort...if not the best in the area. There are numerous slopes for every level from blacks to several greens and even a super bunny with a magic carpet to transport newbies. People say its expensive....but hell skiing is expensive...deal with it. This is the only place were kids under 12 ski free....you still have to rent ski's...around $30 for 8hrs. The food is also relatively expensive, but the variety is good and they actually have lots of veg options. They have awesome cheese curds, pretzels, cheese pizza, fries, and onion rings. The bar is upstairs and serves a huge variety of local beers. The views from the 2nd floor of the lodge are great and allow you to keep on little ones. There are lockers through out the lodge offering small lockers for 50 cents. They also send lessons for kids and beginners. I would say there lessons are not the best....they usually cater to larger groups and people that don't catch on, get pushed onto the mini-bunny slope to fend for themselves with the magic carpet. The lines on the weekends are very long, but the lines move fast and if you like the blacks you can use lifts that cater to the harder slopes. The lodge becomes very crowded on the weekends, making it difficult to find a spot to sit. It would be nice if they expanded the lodge a little to accommodate the weekend crowds. There is also tubing available for an additional $10 on your lift ticket. I have heard it is fun, but I have never tried it. Overall, its a fun ski resort with a good variety of slopes available for all levels. If people can find coupons or discounts to ski it obviously help to cut down on the cost. read more

The mountain itself is big and beautiful and if it's not a busy day, the lift and hills are empty for your own personal use. The ticket lady, the bartender and the cafe people were all very friendly and sweet. My reason for only 3 stars is when I went on the left side on the mountain to get on the "Far Out" green hill, these workers were waiting on top of the lift to VERY RUDELY tell us that it's closed. When I said I can't go down a black diamond they told me "that's not my problem". Seriously? I was being nice and they were being complete jackasses. read more

Summary: Good place for beginner/intermediate skiing Pros: Groomed slopes; Employees are actually working there; Nice view; Many slopes; Many places to rest; Variety of activities Cons: Long drive from Chicago; No good food to purchase; Limited Parking; Details: We purchased special deal from "Hilton Garden Inn Wisconsin Dells" with Cascade Mountains tickets. Check it out if you want to spend a night there. I loved many features in this ski resort: * quick equipment rentals * automated storage system * guarded equipment storage outside * express ski lift has a controller who optimizes the line * variety of slopes It was my first skiing in 2016 and I really enjoyed to open the season with this mini mountain. read more

I've been here twice and I've been snowboarding once or twice before this year but this year I decided to buy my own equiptment. Cascade is great for beginners. They have a very long blue hill that's as easy as the bunny hill and you take the regular long lift all the way to the top so it takes longer to go down versus the bunny hill so less time going back and forth on the lifts. Best place to learn how to carve. Even the longer lifts were easy to get off of and I usually fall at other places. Price are relatively the same as other places in the area. 3hr drive not bad unless it's snowing bad, able to make it as a day trip but Wisconsin dells is close enough to make it a weekend adventure. read more

Great, attentive snowboard instructors, thanks for the lesson! My nieces were on the tube hill the whole time and loved it. If you are a first timer, the learn to turn package is the best bet. All your gear, board and a lesson for 1 price. After you pay, go directly to the rental area and collect your gear, ask someone behind the counter for help. Even though there were mostly young people in this area, they were all attentive and helpful. Next, go to the ski school area where the green flag/marker is, every two hours or so there is a class. After your class, STAY ON THE BUNNY. I cannot emphasize this enough. Learn to skate, then stop, then turn, then carve. Do not go straight to a blue slope. You will regret it lol! The food is expensive but who cares? The beer is fairly priced, with about 7 or 8 on tap. Starbucks cafe thing has a nice fireplace upstairs. Good place to chill. This place gets very crowded during peak hours but after 5pm it gets much smaller. read more

I took my son and some of his friends skiing/snowboarding for the first time recently. We opted for Cascade Mountain because it was the closest to the resort we were staying at in the Dells. Cascade Mountain is very easy to get to... about a five-minute drive once you're off the expressway. The boys opted for snowboarding and, since it was their first time, we decided that it would be best for them to take lessons. In my opinion, the price was completely worth it. It included the equipment, a 90-minute lesson, and an 8-hour lift ticket. We were able to add on snowtubing for an additional $10. They learned, attempted a few times afterwards, then went snowtubing. Each one said they would like to go again and they now felt better prepared. I definitely recommend the lessons if you're a first-timer. Cascade Mountain had several slopes to choose from. They also had a small cafe with a fireplace to warm up at and a little fast-food cafeteria as well. I did notice that some people brought packed lunches and ate them at the lower level of the cafe which also had a fireplace. I also noticed some... errrr... emergency paramedic skiing people. So, if you're worried about getting injured, they have staff to take care of you there. read more

I have been to Devil's Head and alpine valley numerous times, but this was my first time coming to the other "premier" southern WI ski resort. This place is right off the highway so it is a lot easier to find than the winding country roads that get to devils head, but on the other hand the noise from traffic can keep you from enjoying the nature. I was very impressed with the variety and quantity of runs here, as well as the grooming, which was perfect. The main runs in the middle of the mountain are serviced by a high-speed chairlift, which helps maximize your downhill time. I found these runs to be on-par or better than similar runs at Devil's. A nice touch was the patches of pines and furs along the top half of the mountain, its much more pleasing to the eye than thickets of leafless trees. Towards mid-day this area was starting to fill up, along with the terrain park (not my thing but this one appeared more robust that Devil's), but I spent most of my day out by the black diamond runs. I'd have to say that I was really impressed by the number of expert runs they had at Cascade, although these were not serviced by a high speed lift and they were shorter than the runs at devils. Way off to the side are two very narrow, tree-lined runs. One of them even goes over a bridge which I have never seen before and found to be pretty unique. But I did say they were narrow and tree-lined, so DO NOT go down them if you have poor control as you would probably end up tumbling down a steep woody hill. My only true complaint is that the food court is abysmal and overpriced, you are much better off bringing your own lunch or driving to a nearby eatery. This, along with the short black diamond runs and slow chairlift are the only things keeping me from giving this place 5 stars. I would say this place is worth a visit, especially if you have been to Devil's Head and are looking for a better experience. read more

Crowded, outdated and the worst ski lessons I have ever had. Spent over an hour just waiting for the rentals. Won't be returning. Don't recommend for newer skiers. read more

Decent hills, but the bartender JAMI totally ruined for us. Over 30 of us were having a great day, but then when we all went to relax at the end of the day she caused a bunch of drama. Too bad too because the owner Rob was really nice! We all take this trip every year, but never again. read more

Tube review only - not a skier. I though thought the tubing area was very nice and well maintained. It was easy to ride up the hill and the wait was not long. The facilities at the bottom were fine. At $60+ for a family of four for unlimited rides, I thought the price was very reasonable. read more

Went snowboarding for the 1st time this past weekend. Cascade was the perfect place for a first timer and even my intermediate snowboarding friends enjoyed it as well. The best part was the awesome deal they're offering... $79 but with tax it ends up being $83ish for 8 hour flex lift ticket, snowboard with boots and helmet rental, along with a 90 minute lesson. At the end of your lesson, you get a $10 cascade debit card to use next time you visit! Only thing is, I wish they had a better selection of foods and wish they were closer to Chicago. read more

If you're a novice or intermediate skier, or looking to try out snowboarding, this is an ideal little ski area that isn't overly crowded. Lots of moderate runs without all the annoying badasses and reckless teenaged snowboarders whizzing by using you for a slalom course. Night skiing is good here because the place empties out completely. read more

Cascade Mountain - Ski Resorts Near Me - Portage, Wisconsin

probably the best ski slope near chicago. I have been to wilmot, alpine and sunburst and this is by far the best. The black slopes are a bit longer and they have more than one. But this is nowhere near any real ski slopes. The highest slope would last about a min at most. So its ok if are a beginner or need to get the rust off. I think its way too expensive for this kind of a hill. btw i think people should put some info on price range and type of place. I did a road trip with just yelp and gps unit and felt it could have helped if i had search query based on price and type etc. read more

I went up here this past weekend with a friend to learn how to snowboard. I was impressed with the size (It is no colorado, but you can't be too picky in the midwest!) and variety of runs that were available. Only thing I'll complain about is the price: pretty much 90 bucks for 1 day for a lift ticket and a snowboard/helmet rental. Ouch. Perhaps i should just buy a snowboard in July? read more

Three adults and 2 kids went tubing. Cost $100 Only 1 run 4 people down at a time 45 min wait time per run. Not fun read more

If I could give it Zero I would - when we called they said we could slide with our you g children : when we get there they made us get off the hill because they wouldn't let us go together - Save your money , not worth the hassle read more

They took the condiments away. This lounge is not very welcoming to those with hunger. AVOID IF PECKISH. Also, lack of welcoming sign is slightly disturbing read more

What a great little "mountain" for a group with different levels of skiing ability and experience. We rented skis and bought passes across the street and saved $14 per person. Once we got to Cascade Mt. we were directed to open parking spots by parking attendants then greeted by a staff member at the entrance. We got our start on the bunny hills that proved fun for those who have skied before and easy enough for those of us who needed some time to learn. A few of us ended the day on some Blue routes and enjoyed a fun challenge for beginner skiers. We ate in the lodge halfway up the mountain and had a few drinks and popcorn when we were done for the day. Sore muscles | Happy faces read more

cascade is too expensive! If you're a beginner, they have lessons for both who want to ski or snowboard! If you're renting and a first timer, do the learn to turn package which is expensive. Lots of people during the weekends so avoid weekends! The slopes aren't that bad, it is just a huge hill with different courses. read more

Perfect! We parked, fitted for gear, and were on our first chair lift within 30 minutes!! Great time for our family of 4. My son tried snow boarding and the beginner hills were perfect! read more

About an hour north of Madison, this is a good weekend ski destination from Chicago. It's also close enough to Devil's Head Resort that you could spend a full day at each. They have a large number of black diamonds, and a few long green and blue runs, as well as several bunny hills, making it a good spot for people at both ends of the ability spectrum, and a good place for an intermediate skier to work up the guts to tackle some harder runs. This year they've started an eight hour flex lift ticket, allowing you to get the equivalent of a day pass, with the flexibility of starting your day a little later. read more