Does the snowy weather make you want to hit the slopes? Well, you don't need to leave the Midwest to do so. The Rocky Mountains are great and all, but you can find a small budget alternative right here in the Midwest.
We rounded up some of the Midwest's best ski resorts. Check them out and watch out for those trees!
Illinois Ski Resort:
Chestnut Mountain Resort 8700 W. Chestnut Rd., Galena, Ill. 61036
One of the Midwest's premier ski resorts just a three hour drive from Chicago.
Chestnut is a full-service, year-round lodge with about 100 rooms, offering 17 ski trails. They also have a seven-acre terrain park named "The Far Side." While you're there, visit the 20,000 square foot Village Ski Center.
Lift tickets start at $35.
Equipment rentals start at $25. For more rate information visit their website.
Michigan Ski Resort:
Swiss Valley Ski & Snowboard Area, 13421 Mann St., Jones, Mich. 49061
The Swiss Valley is the closest Michigan ski lodge to Chicago. It's only 9 miles North of the Michigan Indiana border. It's about a 2.5 hour (121 mile) drive from Chicago.
This ski lodge consists of 11 trails, a 225 vertical foot peak (highest in Southwest Michigan) and seven lifts, including two quads and one triple.
Lift tickets run from $22 to $36.
Equipment rentals start at $25. For more rate information visit their website.
Wisconsin Ski Resort:
Christmas Mountain Village, S944 Christmas Mountain Road, Wisconsin Dells, Wis. 53965
Christmas Mountain Village offers skiing, snow boarding and tubing. The resort is only about 3.5 hours away from Chicago in a heavily wooded countryside in the Dells. There is also a 27 hole golf course throughout the resort.
Lift ticket start from $25.
Equipment rentals start at $28. For more rate information visit their website.