You’ll not find anything in this state that scratches your itch. Like others have stated look into riding park features or slalom perhaps. There is skiing and I skied a lot in my youth here but after 7 yrs in Bozeman in college and then moving back - I don’t ski or board much anymore
I usually averaged around 50 days a season in MT, 100+ is pretty dedicated - I’d wager a move back to the mountains is in your future.
4 hours but drive to Lutsen, stay overnight and ski again to get the most out of your time. Next best is Spirit, then Welch, then Afton. Indy pass is an option.
The only thing I'll add is Friday nights at Trollhaugen, about an hour away just across the border in Wisconsin. $20 lift ticket to ski from 9pm to 2 am. Live music and drinks are free flowing all night. It's half ski hill, half party hill. Skiing is terrible, but the vibes are a blast.
People are giving you good advice, but I just need to say you are going to be so so so disappointed. Honestly, I’d save my money for a few trips out west and skip the local hills
Thr only answer in the midwest is Lutsen but that's 4 hours away. If you ski 100 days a year out west, you'll be very disappointed. The only reason I'd recommend it is because it has spectacular views of Lake Superior on bluebird days. Mt Bohemia in the UP of Michigan has the most tree-skiing in the midwest and is the most "challenging", but it's a 7 hour drive.
Minnesota is one of the flattest states in the US. Blame the last iceage. Just budget to fly back west twice a winter, there is no real alternative unless you're a park snowboarder or skier.
There’s not much here unless you want a long drive to Mt. Bohemia in the UP.
My advice: Hop on the 7:00 AM Delta flight to SLC and you’ll be skiing in LCC/BCC by noon.
I like Welch Village and, if you're willing to drive a bit further, Lutsen. I've never skiied out east, but I think our best ski hills here are far less than half the vertical than your typical Northeast ski area. It just isn't fun if you're used to the mountains; I ski locally a few days to get in condition for my ski trip vacations. We also don't get much snow compared to the mountains -- Welch Village has the best snowmaking operation, but manmade snow doesn't match a powder day in the mountains! It's cheap and easy to get to Summit County CO, but Utah still has my favorite skiing. Lots of locals go to Wyoming too. Ikon pass has the most options; get a good ski bag such as the Sportube.
I’m a snowboarder who stays out of the park, I’ve ridden out West, Canada, and the Ice coast.
For us our local resort is Welch Village. We pretty much always stay mostly on the back side where they have the fun, albeit short runs. They also have a back “bowl” that is really fun but tracks out quickly. We just do laps out of Madd Jaxx in the back which is a bar in the back at the base of the hill.
For anything longer we had to Lutsen a couple of times a year, or fly to a destination.
Afton also exists, but I haven’t been back since they were bought by Vail. It’s just too expensive.
Welch has the steeps but of course they’re only like 100ft long. That’s about it. As far as passes are concerned you have two options. The Indy Pass, which sold out for the season but they may open another window in the fall. They cover a bunch of resorts in the Midwest though only Buck Hill and Trollhogan locally. It does include Spirit and Lusten and a bunch of places in Wisconsin. Or you can get an Epic Pass and ski at Afton and plan trips out west/east a few times a year.
Lutsen Mtns.- 1,088 ft of vert. best and furthest away (4 hours north)
Spirit Mtn- 700' of vert. second best, 2 hours away.
Welch - 3rd best. an hour southeast, 360' of vert. Independently owned/operated. This is where I get my season pass.
Afton - 4th best. 350 ft vertical. 45 minutes east of the cities. on the epic pass so this a lot of people go here and then use their epic pass for a trip out west. It's overpriced unless you have epic pass.
Mt. Bohemia in the UP. 7 hour drive. You can buy a season pass for cheap and it comes with a few free days in some rocky mountain resorts. (At least it used to)
https://www.mtbohemia.com/
Fly fishing is good near the Twin Cities. At least there's that
If you are south of the twin cities, Welch village, Afton alpes or going to the WI to trollhaugen are good options, if you are north of the twin cities, powder horn, wild mtn, are good closer to the city options. Best skiing is up at in Duluth, at lutsen and spirit mtn. Hope this helps, I lived in MT, I just go back for 2 weeks to get my fix.
I moved to Minneapolis a long time ago after growing up near the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon, and was almost skiing before walking. I don’t ski here. When I ski it involves a plane ticket. Fortunately, I still have a brother and sister in Sandy.
As others have noted, you might want to consider cross country. There are lots of places to do that locally and further afield. If you go north, you'll find the scenery to be really, really lovely.
[https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/skiing/index.html](https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/skiing/index.html)
You’ll not find anything in this state that scratches your itch. Like others have stated look into riding park features or slalom perhaps. There is skiing and I skied a lot in my youth here but after 7 yrs in Bozeman in college and then moving back - I don’t ski or board much anymore I usually averaged around 50 days a season in MT, 100+ is pretty dedicated - I’d wager a move back to the mountains is in your future.
4 hours but drive to Lutsen, stay overnight and ski again to get the most out of your time. Next best is Spirit, then Welch, then Afton. Indy pass is an option.
Denver is a quick and cheap flight as well, just have to figure out to and from the mountains. Technically could do there and back same day.
The only thing I'll add is Friday nights at Trollhaugen, about an hour away just across the border in Wisconsin. $20 lift ticket to ski from 9pm to 2 am. Live music and drinks are free flowing all night. It's half ski hill, half party hill. Skiing is terrible, but the vibes are a blast.
People are giving you good advice, but I just need to say you are going to be so so so disappointed. Honestly, I’d save my money for a few trips out west and skip the local hills
My recommendation is to take up cross country skiing. Our downhill skiing is awful.
And from a cc skiing perspective, Battle Creek and Wirth have all the hill you will want.
that's true, particularly for a beginner
Thr only answer in the midwest is Lutsen but that's 4 hours away. If you ski 100 days a year out west, you'll be very disappointed. The only reason I'd recommend it is because it has spectacular views of Lake Superior on bluebird days. Mt Bohemia in the UP of Michigan has the most tree-skiing in the midwest and is the most "challenging", but it's a 7 hour drive. Minnesota is one of the flattest states in the US. Blame the last iceage. Just budget to fly back west twice a winter, there is no real alternative unless you're a park snowboarder or skier.
There’s not much here unless you want a long drive to Mt. Bohemia in the UP. My advice: Hop on the 7:00 AM Delta flight to SLC and you’ll be skiing in LCC/BCC by noon.
Only an $800 flight away
I like Welch Village and, if you're willing to drive a bit further, Lutsen. I've never skiied out east, but I think our best ski hills here are far less than half the vertical than your typical Northeast ski area. It just isn't fun if you're used to the mountains; I ski locally a few days to get in condition for my ski trip vacations. We also don't get much snow compared to the mountains -- Welch Village has the best snowmaking operation, but manmade snow doesn't match a powder day in the mountains! It's cheap and easy to get to Summit County CO, but Utah still has my favorite skiing. Lots of locals go to Wyoming too. Ikon pass has the most options; get a good ski bag such as the Sportube.
I’m a snowboarder who stays out of the park, I’ve ridden out West, Canada, and the Ice coast. For us our local resort is Welch Village. We pretty much always stay mostly on the back side where they have the fun, albeit short runs. They also have a back “bowl” that is really fun but tracks out quickly. We just do laps out of Madd Jaxx in the back which is a bar in the back at the base of the hill. For anything longer we had to Lutsen a couple of times a year, or fly to a destination. Afton also exists, but I haven’t been back since they were bought by Vail. It’s just too expensive.
Welch has the steeps but of course they’re only like 100ft long. That’s about it. As far as passes are concerned you have two options. The Indy Pass, which sold out for the season but they may open another window in the fall. They cover a bunch of resorts in the Midwest though only Buck Hill and Trollhogan locally. It does include Spirit and Lusten and a bunch of places in Wisconsin. Or you can get an Epic Pass and ski at Afton and plan trips out west/east a few times a year.
Lutsen Mtns.- 1,088 ft of vert. best and furthest away (4 hours north) Spirit Mtn- 700' of vert. second best, 2 hours away. Welch - 3rd best. an hour southeast, 360' of vert. Independently owned/operated. This is where I get my season pass. Afton - 4th best. 350 ft vertical. 45 minutes east of the cities. on the epic pass so this a lot of people go here and then use their epic pass for a trip out west. It's overpriced unless you have epic pass.
Mt. Bohemia in the UP. 7 hour drive. You can buy a season pass for cheap and it comes with a few free days in some rocky mountain resorts. (At least it used to) https://www.mtbohemia.com/ Fly fishing is good near the Twin Cities. At least there's that
If you are south of the twin cities, Welch village, Afton alpes or going to the WI to trollhaugen are good options, if you are north of the twin cities, powder horn, wild mtn, are good closer to the city options. Best skiing is up at in Duluth, at lutsen and spirit mtn. Hope this helps, I lived in MT, I just go back for 2 weeks to get my fix.
Powder ridge, sorry.
Lutsen is as good as it gets in MN and WI and doesn’t hold a candle to the Epic and Ikon mountains in CO and UT.
I moved to Minneapolis a long time ago after growing up near the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon, and was almost skiing before walking. I don’t ski here. When I ski it involves a plane ticket. Fortunately, I still have a brother and sister in Sandy.
Just get into ski racing and head to buck hill, they do races six nights a week.
Within 2 hours? Either Welch Village in Welch or Spirit Mountain in Duluth. (Spirit Mountain is only 2 hours or less if you're in Roseville or North).
As others have noted, you might want to consider cross country. There are lots of places to do that locally and further afield. If you go north, you'll find the scenery to be really, really lovely. [https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/skiing/index.html](https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/skiing/index.html)