Wild Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area

Those living in Minnesota can appreciate outdoor fun in the "land of 10,000 lakes" (officially 11,842), but they know there is more to do during the winter than ice fish. Enter the Wild Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area, a year-round facility that offers visitors plenty of fun once the snow starts to fly.

Located on the western banks of the St Croix River that separates Minnesota and Wisconsin, motorists will reach the resort using Route 16. Interstate 35 exits Minneapolis/St Paul to the north and meets with US Route 8 and Minnesota State Highway 95. Visitors flying from afar can land at the Minneapolis - Saint Paul International Airport before traveling the roadways to their destination.

Wild Mountain is Going Green

Many of the region's ski bums are outdoors enthusiasts all year long, enjoying nature when they can. It should be no surprise that the Wild Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area is one of the industry leaders with environmentally-friendly skiing and riding practices and technologies. "Keep it Wild" means that the ski area has achieved carbon neutrality by diverting waste, offsetting carbon, and reducing energy consumption.

Carbon monitoring allows the resort to keep track of how its operations affect the local environments. That has allowed them to reduce plastics, provide eco-friendly merchandise, make use of snowmaking equipment that uses one-third the energy, and maintain one of the county's first winter venues to convert to emissions-free snowmobiles.

The Wild Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area does not offer lodging on-mountain, but several local communities have accommodations. Services at the base lodge include a cafeteria, rental & repairs, room rentals for gatherings, lessons, and camps. Its seasonal lease program provides skiing and riding equipment for park rats that travel light to the Wild Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area.

A Focus on the Pow

The Wild Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area is no-frills, but that does not mean it is no-fun. Anyone new to skiing and riding (along with those needing to dust off their skills) has several classes, clinics, and programs to fit their age and needs. These include unique learning opportunities like the Get Hooked, Women of the Wild, and Snowsports Instructor programs. The Wild Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area also hosts recreations ski racing teams, USSA Team Gilboa, and developmental alpine racing teams.

Those visiting the Wild Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area that are not interested in alpine adventures can enjoy snow tubing at the Wild Chutes area. That includes Starlight Tubing starting at dusk on two nights of the week.

With an average annual snowfall of 50 inches, snowmaking equipment is a must for maintaining conditions. The resort's 100 acres of skiable terrain has snowmaking capabilities, and lighting for skiing at night is also installed across the slope. Over two dozen runs have ratings of green (over 30-percent), blue (35-percent), and black diamond (over 30-percent). The Wall is a double black diamond run, and the longest trail is just under one mile in length. Four chairs and three rope tows move skiers and riders around the Wild Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area.