Outside of Galena and looking over the Mississippi River, Chestnut Mountain descends 475 feet amidst some of the river's most stunning scenery. The base of the mountain is on a bluff, so your last run of the day will be on a chairlift taking you back up to the Lodge (a Midwestern set-up that's common in the UP).

The proximity to the river gives Chestnut's 19 runs plenty of snow, supplemented by the "largest snow-making system in the Midwest." The seven-acre terrain park is the largest of its kind in the Midwest, with two half-pipes, its own chairlift, and a vast series of table tops and rail slides. Skiers dominate the majority of the other runs, which are wide open descents that have made it the #2 rated Midwestern ski resort by Ski Magazine.

Centerstage Reviewer: Robert Duffer