Whitecap Mountain

Along the eastern edge of Wisconsin's Lake Superior Lowland sits the Whitecap Mountain ski area. Location is everything, and the venue uses Lake effect snowstorms like skiing and riding facilities in the region.

The mountain resort sits north of Upson, Wisconsin, near the Michigan border. Interstate travel is far to the west or south, so the US Highway system is a motorist's choice here, with US Routes 2 and 51 meet east of the slopes in Ironwood. Wisconsin State highway 122 is the target roadway that brings travelers to Whitecap. Duluth's International Airport is the closest airfield for most folks flying into the region, with several domestic airports closer.

From Iron Ore to Alpine Skiing

The area around the Whitecap Mountain ski venue is sparsely populated, with many surrounding communities being unincorporated. Iron County might carry the mineral's name, but there are no mining facilities or booming industry to interrupt the outdoor experience at this all-season venue. What there is around here during the winter is snow. Lake effect storms off the southern tip of Lake Superior create 200 inches of average annual snowfall, with the resort providing extra machine-made snow to supplement those totals.

Lodging accommodations at the Whitecap Mountain ski area consist of staying at the hotel or renting rooms in private homes. Hotels guests are treated to ski-in/ski-out access, while the homes offer more privacy. Dining options on-site include the Hotel Bar & Cafe and the Wine Hut. Menus tend to provide American cuisine like brats, burgers, and pizza.

Other hotel amenities at the Whitecap Mountain resort venue include free parking for guests (including snowmobile/ATV and trailers), an indoor hot tub, a large pool, and things like wi-fi. Visitors traveling with pets will be happy to know the resort is pet-friendly, with a small fee for non-human family members.

Plenty of Fun In and Around Here

The Whitecap Mountain resort area has alpine skiing and riding facilities, but guests will have to go beyond the boundaries to access other types of winter fun. Iron County has a well-developed trail system for cross-country skiers, with the Uller trail nearby. Snowshoeing trails are available right outside the property.

You can bring your snowmobile, or rent one, to hit Trail 6 right off Whitecap Mountain. There are also several spots for ice skating that the front desk can recommend that will provide fun off of the slopes. It is, however, the downhill skiing and snowboarding that brings visitors from the surrounding region here.

The 1,295-foot base elevation at Whitecap Mountain combines with its summit of 1,750 feet to create the 400-foot vertical that everyone enjoys. That generates plenty of potentials on the various terrain found across the venue's 400 skiable acres. Forty-three trails have ratings of green/beginner (33-percent), blue/intermediate (28-percent), black diamond/advanced (28-percent), and double diamond/expert (12-percent). Skiers and riders at the Whitecap Mountain resort area have six lift systems to access some of the Midwest's most diverse alpine terrain.