Southern Michigan Ski Resorts
Southern Michigan Ski Resorts
If you include Central Michigan, there are eleven Southern Michigan Ski Resorts. None of them are particularly large, but all of them would be a fun day of skiing.
Best Skiing in Southwest Michigan
Living in the Indianapolis area, these are the ski resorts we tend to visit for weekend overnights or day trips – I’ve visited all of them except Mulligans Hollow through the years and always had a fun day!
Mulligans Hollow
Mulligans Hollow is a small local ski hill located in Grand Haven near Lake Michigan. They are only open Thursday – Sunday (and snow days if the weather cooperates).
There are just a handful of runs and the only way to the top is a rope tow, so if that’s not your jam, skip this resort. However, if you just want to get out for a few hours and have a good pair of gloves, this could be a fun little outing.
Mulligan’s is super affordable and all runs are lit, so you can enjoy night skiing. If you are planning a weekend getaway to Grand Haven, include an evening or afternoon of skiing for a fun outdoor winter activity.
Bittersweet Resort
Head to Bittersweet Resort for 20 runs, 6 chair lifts, 3 magic carpets, and 1 tow rope. Bittersweet has both an indoor lodge (with a restaurant, bar, and ski shop) as well as an outdoor grill – and if the weather is nice, there is nothing more fun than sitting in the sun after a morning of skiing and enjoying lunch al fresco!
The website has a mountain cam, so you can check out the snow conditions before you arrive.
Nearby Kalamazoo is your best bet for overnight lodging.
👉 Book your room in Kalamazoo at Booking.com
Timber Ridge
Timber Ridge has been a southern Michigan ski resort staple for years – I remember heading there for school ski trips when I was a teenager. It was fun then and even better now!
In addition to skiing, Timber Ridge has tubing with 9 lanes – and a magic carpet to take you to the top. I’m always a fan of tubing versus sledding when I don’t have to carry a tube!
Timber Ridge has a section of the mountain dedicated to a terrain park and there are several wooded greens for those of us who enjoy easy yet scenic ski runs.
Swiss Valley
The other ski resort in Southern Michigan that I frequented as a teen is Swiss Valley. There are 12 runs, with 3 chairs and 4 tow ropes, along with 2 terrain parks.
Swiss Valley has a full-service restaurant along with a place for quick snacks. Most of the runs are lit for night skiing, and if the weather is cold enough, Swiss Valley has the capacity to make quite a bit of snow!
👉 Planning to ski on your next Midwest day trip? Be sure to bring along the right stuff!
Best Ski Resorts in Southeast Michigan
These four resorts are pretty close to Detroit, so if you are on that side of Michigan, be sure to check them out. In fact, it would be really fun to book a few nights at a hotel in Detroit and combine a city adventure with a day or two of skiing! Sounds like a perfect winter weekend getaway to me!
Mt. Holly Ski Resort
Mt. Holly Ski Resort has seven chairlifts (one of them high-speed!), four rope tows, and two magic carpets. The vertical drop is 350 ft. It’s located near Holly, Michigan about an hour from Detroit, so would make for a fun day trip.
There is a lodge, ski school, and several terrain park areas. Mt. Holly Ski Resort also offers a variety of ski lessons from private to group if you’d like to improve your skills.
Pine Knob Ski Resort
Located between Detroit and Flint, Pine Knob Ski Resort is another great option for a day trip from Detroit. There are 14 runs and 3 terrain parks. There are six chairlifts, four tow ropes, and three magic carpets.
The resort has a lodge with food and a ski shop, but as with all the Southern Michigan Ski Resorts, no overnight lodgings.
Alpine Valley
Alpine Valley has a lodge that reminds me of the look of Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands (just on a much smaller scale). There are 17 runs, most of which are intermediate or difficult. There is also a nice-sized terrain area.
The summit elevation is 1210 feet, with a vertical drop of 300 feet. Alpine Valley also has racing events – which are a lot of fun to watch even if you don’t participate.
The resort is located in White Lake, Michigan, less than an hour from Detroit. The second story of the lodge houses the Hornet’s Nest Bar – a fun place to grab a drink, hang out and watch the action.
Mt. Brighton
Mt. Brighton has 24 runs and two terrain parks. Seventy percent of the runs are beginner or intermediate, so it’s a fantastic place to learn to ski or practice before hitting a bigger resort.
This resort opened in 1960 so they’ve been around for a while! They have excellent snowmaking capabilities, so as long as it’s cold enough outside, the resort will have snow.
Mt. Brighton has its own coffee shop, a restaurant/bar, and quick service food – so plenty of options to choose from. Lodging is available in nearby Brighton, Michigan, or less than an hour away in Detroit.
👉 Book a stay in Detroit to make skiing at ANY of these Southeast resorts convenient.
Downhill skiing in Central Michigan
There are just two resorts located in Central Michigan – that are still fairly southern. After these two, the Michigan ski resorts are all in the North.
Best Skiing near Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is another Michigan city perfect for a Midwest weekend getaway. Known for a large number of breweries and a vibrant downtown, consider enjoying a day in Grand Rapids and then a day skiing nearby at Cannonsburg or Central Snow Snake.
Cannonsburg Ski Area
Cannonsburg Ski Area is located about 30 minutes northeast of Grand Rapids in Belmont, Michigan. The resort offers 9 lifts (3 chairs, 4 rope tows and 2 magic carpets) and 21 runs.
If you get tired of skiing or boarding, you can also enjoy a tubing hill! Cannonsburg also has a series of trails perfect for snowshoeing and fat tire biking. So, a nice variety of winter snow sports!
Saturdays and Sundays bring a tasty brunch to the Cedar Lounge with Mimosas and Bloody Marys – yum! The rest of the day the regular menu includes truffle fries, smash burgers, salads, and craft beers.
👉 Book your room in Grand Rapids here!
Central Snow Snake Ski & Golf
Located in Harrison, Michigan, Snow Snake Ski has a large tubing park along with 10 runs (including 2 terrain parks) for downhill skiing and boarding.
The lounge, Avalanche Bar & Grill, overlooks the ski hill – so you can enjoy tasty bar food while watching the skiers headed down the hill.
When there is enough natural snow, you can snowshoe on the golf course snowshoe trails.
Does Southern Michigan have good skiing?
The elevations in Southern Michigan lend themselves to shorter runs that aren’t super steep and smaller resorts. The skiing is perfect for a beginner, or someone who just wants some fun Michigan day trips.
They also combine well with weekends in nearby cities. Spend a day skiing and a day exploring Detroit, Grand Rapids, or one of the Southwestern Michigan cities.
If you are looking for more challenging or multi-day skiing in Michigan, you’ll want to consider driving further north to a resort like Boyne Mountain or Boyne Highlands.
Best Southern Michigan Skiing for family getaways
Any of these Southern Michigan Ski Resorts would be great for a family getaway. All of them have a variety of runs and some have other fun options like snow tubing. I would suggest selecting the resort(s) that are closest to you and start by exploring those first.
How many Southern Michigan Ski Resorts are there?
There are 26 ski resorts in all of lower Michigan, and – so if you are visiting Michigan, odds are good you’ll be able to find a ski resort near you. Maybe more than one!
Best Ski Resorts in Northern Michigan lower peninsula
The best ski resorts (i.e. largest) tend to be in the Nothern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula – resorts like Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands, or Crystal Mountain, but any of these Southern Michigan ski resorts would still make for a fun day of getting on the slopes!
Tips for Southern Michigan Skiing
Always, always, always check the weather and call ahead to see how many lifts/runs are open. Since ski resorts are weather dependent, sometimes they aren’t fully open – and you don’t want to plan a trip or drive to a location and discover only a few lifts/runs are open.
Many of these resorts offer webcams or numbers you can call to check snow conditions. A few also have newsletters or even text alerts, so if you plan on visiting, be sure to sign up to get the latest updates.
👉 Related Post: Don’t forget to check out the local coffee shops when you are planning a Southern Michigan ski trip!
Conclusion: Southern Michigan Ski Resorts
If you can’t make it out west, or all the way to Northern Michigan, or just want a fun Michigan day trip, check out any of these ten southern Michigan ski resorts. It’s easy to have a fun day outside on skis, get a little practice and enjoy winter just a little bit more with a day of skiing.
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