Michigan Ski Resorts Ranked & Mapped
Michigan has a rich history of skiing. While it may not be as well known for the sport as say Utah, Wyoming or Colorado, Michigan can still hold its own. Featuring over 32 ski resorts, Michigan should definitely be on the short list for your next ski vacation.
Michigan Ski Season
The ski season in Michigan typically runs from mid-December to late March, depending on the weather and snow conditions. Michigan is known for its diverse terrain, which offers a range of skiing and snowboarding opportunities for people of all skill levels.
Many ski resorts in Michigan have groomed runs, terrain parks, and backcountry areas for different types of skiing and snowboarding, as well as rental equipment and ski schools for those who are new to the sport. Typically, the terrain parks open later than the rest of the resort’s slopes due to the time needed to make and shape the terrain features.
All Michigan Ski Resorts
The ‘Pass’ column below identifies if the resort is associated with one of the two major ski passes in the country. IKON and EPIC each have dozens of slopes in their system that will allow you to ski at any one of them if you hold it.
The IKON Ski Pass has the best representation in Michigan, with three resorts all participating in it. EPIC (from Vail), is only associated with one MI ski resort.
| Resort | Pass | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine Valley | Elmira, MI, 49730 | |
| Apple Mountain | Freeland, MI, 48623 | |
| Big Powderhorn | INDY | Ironwood, MI, 49938 |
| Bittersweet | Grant, MI, 49327 | |
| Boyne Mountain | IKON | Boyne Falls, MI, 49713 |
| Caberfae Peaks | INDY | Boon, MI, 49618 |
| Cannonsburg | Belmont, MI, 49341 | |
| Crystal Mountain | INDY | Thompsonville, MI, 49683 |
| Hanson Hills | Grayling, MI, 49738 | |
| John & Melissa Besse Sports Park | Gladstone, MI, 49837 | |
| Marquette Mountain | INDY | Marquette, MI, 49855 |
| Mont Ripley | Hancock, MI, 49930 | |
| Mount Bohemia | Mohawk, MI, 49950 | |
| Mt. Brighton | EPIC | Brighton, MI, 48116 |
| Mt. Holiday | Traverse City, MI, 49686 | |
| Mt. Holly | Holly, MI, 48442 | |
| Mt. Zion Ski Hill | Ironwood, MI, 49938 | |
| Mulligan’s Hollow | Grand Haven, MI, 49417 | |
| Nubs Nob | INDY | Harbor Springs, MI, 49740 |
| Petoskey Sports Park | Petoskey, MI, 49770 | |
| Pine Knob | Clarkston, MI, 48348 | |
| Pine Mountain | INDY | Iron Mountain, MI, 49801 |
| Schuss Mountain at Shanty Creek | INDY | Bellaire, MI, 49615 |
| Ski Brule | Boon, MI, 49618 | |
| Snow Snake | Harrison, MI, 48625 | |
| Snowriver Mountain Resort – Blackjack | Ramsay, MI, 49959 | |
| Snowriver Mountain Resort – Indianhead | INDY | Wakefield, MI, 49968 |
| Swiss Valley | INDY | Jones, MI, 49061 |
| The Homestead | Glen Arbor, MI, 49636 | |
| Timber Ridge | Gobles, MI, 49055 | |
| Treetops | INDY | Gaylord, MI, 49735 |
Explaining Our ‘Difficulty Score’
Parks & Trips created a proprietary Difficulty Score that is generated by looking at the number of easy-intermediate-expert slopes by acreage and the maximum vertical drop of the overall resort.
Our algorithm compares each resort’s metrics with all others in North America, then gives each a Difficulty Score, which we use to rank them accordingly. Resorts with a lower score are easier than those with a higher one. However, a high score does not mean that the resort does not have any easy slopes, or vice versa. This is just an overall score given to the resort based on all its metrics grouped together.
The Most Difficult Michigan Ski Resorts
It is no surprise that Mount Bohemia is at the top here. It actually has made various Top 10 lists across the country, and has no easy trails. With over 450 skiable acres, 93% of which are rated “Expert”, this resort is a destination for many avid skiers.
Rounding out the top five include four other slopes that are all mid-range difficulty when compared to all the other slopes in the country.
| Rank | Resort | Green Trails | Blue Trails | Black Trails | Difficulty Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mount Bohemia | 0% | 7% | 93% | 74% |
| #2 | Snowriver Mountain Resort – Indianhead | 17% | 33% | 50% | 49% |
| #3 | Cannonsburg | 20% | 25% | 55% | 46% |
| #4 | Mont Ripley | 22% | 30% | 48% | 45% |
| #5 | Marquette Mountain | 15% | 50% | 35% | 43% |
The Easiest Ski Resorts in Michigan
Three of our least difficult ski resorts in Michigan have no expert-level trails. These are very family-friendly resorts that everyone can have a great time in the snow at. Gladstone Resort wins here since it is composed of 60% easy trails.
| Rank | Resort | Green Trails | Blue Trails | Black Trails | Difficulty Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Petoskey Sports Park | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| #2 | John & Melissa Besse Sports Park | 60% | 40% | 0% | 12% |
| #3 | Hanson Hills | 50% | 50% | 0% | 15% |
| #4 | Mulligan’s Hollow | 50% | 50% | 0% | 17% |
| #5 | Timber Ridge | 38% | 49% | 13% | 24% |
The Largest Ski Resorts in Michigan
Choosing the largest ski resorts is a bit of a tricky proposition. Do you look at just the summit elevation? How about the total acreage, most trails, or steepest vertical drop?
Well, we decided to combine all four of those metrics into one ranking to get the best idea, although we fully admit this is completely subjective. We’ve given you all the data in the following table to make your own decision.
However, if you are looking to go big in Michigan, Mount Bohemia wins here hands-down. The only real question is who’s in second place.
| Rank | Resort | Summit Elevation | Base Elevation | Vertical Drop | Acres | Trails |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mount Bohemia | 1,500 ft | 600 ft | 900 ft | 585 | 105 |
| #2 | Snowriver Mountain Resort – Indianhead | 1,935 ft | 1,297 ft | 638 ft | 238 | 30 |
| #3 | Big Powderhorn | 1,800 ft | 1,200 ft | 600 ft | 253 | 45 |
| #4 | Marquette Mountain | 1,357 ft | 757 ft | 600 ft | 169 | 25 |
| #5 | Ski Brule | 1,861 ft | 1,361 ft | 500 ft | 150 | 17 |
