Top Things to do in Minnesota
Top Hotels in Minnesota
- 1. South Pier Inn on the Canal
- 2. La Quinta Inn & Suites By Wyndham Duluth
- 3. TownePlace Suites by Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America
- 4. Celeste St Paul
- 5. Radisson Blu Mall of America
- 6. Hampton Inn & Suites Minneapolis/Downtown
- 7. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Bloomington at Mall of America, MN
- 8. The Marquette Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
- 9. Best Western Plus Superior Inn
- 10. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Minneapolis Bloomington W
Top 10 Ski & Snowboard Areas in Minnesota, United States
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have the famous Mall of America and Walker Art Institute. Bluff Country to the south has water sports and cross country skiing. The Prairielands abound with lake recreations.
Restaurants in Minnesota
1. Giants Ridge Recreation Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 91 reviews
Giants Ridge is Minnesota's favorite golf & ski destination. Located in Minnesota's true northwoods, 1 hour north of Duluth & 3 hours north of Twin Cities. Guests at Giants Ridge experience extraordinary connections to nature through our first class four-season recreation area in a true Minnesota Northwoods setting. During the winter months, skiers & boarders enjoy 35 alpine ski runs, 60+ km cross country trails, 2 snowboarding terrain parks & a snow tubing park. The summer months provide golfers with 2 of the nation's most highly acclaimed championship golf courses, along with hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing & kayaking.
Reviewed By jessyf2017 - Longlac, Canada
We were recently on a ski trip with the kids and while on our way back home decided to stop in for a day. I'm glad we did cause the hill was excellent. All runs were open and the lines at the lifts were very short. Signed my daughter up for a group lessons and she had a great time and had nothing but nice things to say about her instructor. Just 2 hrs made a world of difference in her skiing and the price was excellent for what we got. This is a very nice resort with good food in the cafeteria. Would recommend giving it a try if your looking for a nice place for family skiing. Will definitely be back.
2. Powder Ridge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By rk8018 - Mazatlan, Mexico
Not the meca for skiing ! But took 3 first timers from Mexico . The staff from Ski School to rentals and everthing inbetween was if We were the only people there ! Weather was horrible but the good times made up for that . Couple fo chair lifts and a J bar or two ? Was eveything my 1st timers needed and a very reasonable cost .
3. Coffee Mill Ski Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22 reviews
Considered one of the best areas for coulee skiing, this area's unique bowl arrangement protects skiers from the harsh winter winds.
Reviewed By carriesG4846RZ
My son and I had a WONDERFUL experience at Coffee Mill! The skiing and prices were great! I took a much needed lesson from Chris and he did an EXCELLENT job teaching me how to ski and helping me feel under control to be able to go on more challenging slopes. We will definitely be back.
4. Pincushion Mountain Trail System
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 71 reviews
Reviewed By CelticHeather - Saint Paul, United States
Our hosts gave us a route through the park that was a bit off the usual mapped route. Rock face was a bit challenging but worth it for the view.
5. Wild Mountain Ski, Snowboarding & Wild Chutes Snow Tubing
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 60 reviews
Nestled deep within the St. Croix River Valley, just an hour north of the Twin Cities, Wild Mountain is a beautiful wooded area for skiing and snowboarding—7 days and 7 nights a week.With 25 runs and a variety of terrain from beginner to advanced, Wild Mountain is the perfect place for all types of snowsports enthusiasts. In addition they have an awesome terrain park, mini terrain park, half-pipe, as well the brand new Wild Chutes Snowtubing Area.They also offer four 4 quad lifts, a proficient snowsports school, and one of the largest snowmaking and grooming fleets in the Midwest. It is always a white winter at Wild Mountain!
Reviewed By annef116
Spent the day at wild mountain yesterday for our son's birthday. Skiing is offered free on your birthday with proof of age. Great perk! It wasn't very busy until around 4 and even then the lift lines went fast. We purchased lessons last minute for our 5 year old daughter who had only skied once last year. The registration employees were very accommodating and knowledgeable. The ski instructor was great and afterwards our 5 year old did so much better and had more confidence. It's amazing what can be taught/learned in an hour. Well worth the money to get lessons for newbies. Another perk is the 4th grade passport offered through MSAA. You can purchase a season pass for your 4th grader for $36 and get discounted or free lift tickets at area ski hills. Found out about this on wild mountains website. Great deal! Thanks for participating in this program wild mountain! We all had a great time and there is enough variety of hill levels for adults, teens and young kids.
6. Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 35 reviews
Located within the 1,000-acre Hyland Park Reserve, this recreational area attracts downhill and snowboard ski enthusiasts.
7. Afton Alps
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 85 reviews
Large recreation area is loaded with outdoor fun including downhill ski runs, and an 18-hole golf course.
Reviewed By Unknown_65potato
This is my favorite ski area in Minnesota, the hill is great. Since I’m an instructor (for skijammers not Afton) find that some of the hills are great for beginner skier
8. Lutsen Mountains Ski & Summer Resort
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 313 reviews
World class scenery and terrain. The ancient Sawtooth Mountains rise 1000 feet above the coast of Lake Superior-topography unlike any other Midwest locale. And that brings more of what you want in a ski trip. More runs. More elevation. More epic days. You'll find the very best Mid-America has to offer-the highest mountains, the most snow, and the breathtaking beauty of the North Shore. Lutsen offers 95 sweeping runs over four mountains with a lift-serviced vertical rise more than double that of other regional resorts.
Reviewed By 978DanW978 - Portland, United States
I grew up in Minnesota but lived most of my adult live in the Pacific Northwest. I only skied at Lutsen once when I was younger, but just spent a week there with my family (staying at Eagle Ridge Resort, which is on location). What a blast! Fun times whether you spend a lot of money there, or absolutely zero. During the summer the Lake Superior shoreline gets all the action and crowds, so Lutsen itself doesn't get terribly busy. But the lake is only TWO miles away, so it's not like it's difficult to zip down there and get your beach time in. The main draw of Lutsen is the skiing (it is the largest and tallest ski area in the Midwest), but it is lots of fun in summer too. The mountain gondola is spectacular, giving you a fantastic overlook of Lake Superior nearly 1000 feet below, amongst nearly-mountainous terrain. It takes you to a the top of Moose Mountain, with a nice viewing platform and restaurant. The gondola is the only way (other than hiking) to access the restaurant. Didn't eat there, but the menu looks decent and prices reasonable for what it is. Gondola rides aren't cheap, however, but you can also get an unlimited ticket or combo it with alpine slide rides for more value. For a slight discount, you can also buy a one-way gondola ticket and hike the other way. If you plan to do this, be aware that it is a 4.5 mile one-way hike from the Lutsen base area, so allow 2-3 hours. Also be aware the 1-mile segment nearest the gondola is quite rugged, with a lot of up and down and plenty of big roots and rocks in the trail. It's considerably more challenging than the Superior Hiking Trail that makes up the rest of the hike to Moose Mountain - which itself is more rugged than (for example) the relatively groomed Pacific Crest Trail. Just be sure you know what you're getting into. It is absolutely a lovely hike in what feels like primeval forest. Speaking of hiking, with the Superior Hiking Trail running along the back edge of the resort, Lutsen's a great base for longer hikes on this trail, and smack dab in the hilliest segment of the SHT. The upper falls of the Poplar River are lovely, and just 100 yards from the parking lot as you start hiking west on the SHT. You can also hike on many of the ski slopes and sno-cat tracks, depending on how recently they've been mowed, and I covered quite a few of these last week. Just check VERY carefully for ticks afterward, as the longer grass on the slopes is good habitat for them. A short hike from the base area down Bridge Run to leads to the lowest part of the ski area and another stretch of the Poplar River, very lovely with lots of rapids. I am a mountain biker but didn't bring my bike, so I'll have to go back later and do that. Supposedly there are 20ish miles of MTB trails at Lutsen. They don't provide a map, so you're on your own exploring them, but the upside is the trails are free. I don't think you even need to be a guest at one of the lodges to use them. Some of the MTB trails appear to be well maintained, with built berms. The other summer highlight of Lutsen is the alpine slide. This thing is a blast! I think it's about a 400' drop from the top of Eagle Mountain (not the same Eagle Mountain that is the high point of Minnesota) back to the base area. I bought my kids unlimited passes for both the gondola and alpine slide, and it was expensive but we had an absolutely thrilling day. An alpine slide is a semicircular concrete track tumbling down the mountain, which you ride on a small plastic sled. We saw several other guests with scraped-up elbows during our stay, so be aware in advance that as with skiing, it's easy to get hurt a bit if you go too fast and get the sled sideways on a curve. The good news is YOU control the speed: push the handle forward, and you ride on wheels and pick up a lot of speed. Pull it back to brake. If you're anxious, just leave the handle in the middle and you will ride down the track on the sled's skids - fast enough to have fun, but absolutely zero chance of flipping the sled and getting hurt. Take a couple more rides and pick up however much speed you're comfortable with. If you do get hurt you have no one but yourself to blame, because it's easy to avoid. The slide is incredibly fun. On my hikes I saw deer, a fox and a fisher (looks somewhat like a pine marten or otter). Black bears, timber wolves and moose also inhabit the area, so you have at least some chance of seeing them. Don't worry, these animals pose almost no risk to you (except maybe bull moose in rutting season), but seeing one on the trail is a thrill you won't soon forget. By far the biggest wildlife hazard out there, as is now the case in most of the country, is Lyme-carrying deer ticks. Fortunately I didn't see any of those.
9. Buck Hill
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 89 reviews
Recreation area offers year-round fun: winter offers trails and parks for both skiers and snowboarders; summer offers tubing and mountain bike racing events for two-wheel enthusiasts.
Reviewed By Robertrhicksiii68 - Shakopee, United States
Lots of fun great staff. Everybody We saw we're having a great day. Tubing was so much fun.great place To have a great day....
10. Spirit Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 354 reviews
Located just minutes from downtown Duluth, this popular ski and snowboard recreation area features a variety of terrain for all skill levels, along with great views on the way down of Lake Superior and the St. Louis Bay. What's more, it is friendly and service-oriented.
Reviewed By OztravKs
We dashed out to Spirit Mountain after a full day of playing in Duluth, so we weren’t sure how much we could do before 6pm, but it was so worth it! After asking at the ticket counter what he thought we could do in 45 minutes, we settled on the zip line and the timber coaster. We’ll have to try the chair lift another time. We did the zip first, and if you’ve never zipped, I’d recommend it. It was so fun watching little ones in front of us getting so excited for the adventure. It is built with a beautiful view of forest and Lake Superior. However, if you’re ever short on time, skip to the coaster... Sorry, zip, you’re great, but... The coaster...Oh, my, what a treat! We each had our own, and it was super-fun! My family loved it as much as I did, which always makes me feel like my trip-planning was on point. There are some great twists and turns, and you really can leave the speed wide open as long as there’s no one in front of you struggling. I found myself squealing with delight. Now, that’s a great feeling. We can all stand more delight in our lives, yes?
