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Buck Hill opens this weekend
Buck Hill in Burnsville opens this weekend for those looking to enjoy winter.
(FOX 9) - Tried and true Minnesotans know the best way to enjoy winter is to get outside and enjoy it.
With snow now on the ground, and likely to stay until spring, many parks have opened their chalets and gotten their lifts running for skiers, snowboarders and sometimes tubers too.
Below is a list of ones that are operating now, and if you know of more, reach out and send us a line here.
Minnesota ski, snowboard hills open
What we know:
Afton Alps
Located in Afton State Park, guests can take in valley views during their runs, all within the reach of St. Paul. More information can be found here.
Buck Hill
Located in Burnsville just off I-35W, Buck Hill is one of the closest parks to the Twin Cities metro. Despite its limited size, it still offers plenty of runs and the Buck ’54 Bar & Grill onsite. More information can be found here.
Wild Mountain
Located in Taylor’s Falls, Wild Mountain is notable for focusing its efforts on environmental sustainability within its park. In 2020, the park claims that is achieved carbon neutrality, and in 2023 was honored by the National Ski Areas Association with the Golden Eagle Award for Overall Environmental Excellence. Food is available onsite at its Bear's Den or Upper Commons. More information can be found here.
Powder Ridge
Located near the St. Cloud area in Kimball, this park has been family-owned since 1954, and bills itself as "central Minnesota's premier destination for all-ages winter fun." More information can be found here.
Welch Village
Located just west of Red Wing, "Welch" offers 50+ runs, accompanied by eight chairlifts around 140 acres of skiable terrain. More information can be found here.
Spirit Mountain
Located in Duluth, the park offers a wide range of runs and programs for alpine, freestyle, snowboard and Nordic enthusiasts. The Upper Spirit Mountain Nordic Center offers wooded cross-country ski trails groomed for both classic and skate skiing, while the Lower Spirit Mountain Nordic Center offers trails with snow-making and world-class grooming. More information can be found here.
Mount Kato
Unsurprisingly located just a mile south of Mankato, the park offers 19 trails on 55 acres for skiing, snowboarding, tubing and summer mountain biking in the scenic Minnesota River Valley. More information can be found here.
Lutsen Mountains
A trip up Minnesota’s north shore will land you at Minnesota’s largest park, with 95 runs across four mountains. Lodging options with ski-in, ski-out amenities are available onsite. Despite a fire that destroyed its historic lodge, Lutsen says they will operate as normal this year around an average snowfall accumulation of 10 feet each season. More information can be found here.
Nearby Wisconsin ski, snowboard hills
Dig deeper:
Trollhaugen
Located less than an hour outside the Twin Cities in Dresser, "Troll" features 23 runs, four terrain parks, three chair lifts and arguably the best late-night option on Friday, when lifts keep running until 3 a.m. – that’s not a typo. More information can be found here.