The Upper Peninsula has a ton of places to go cross country and downhill skiing. There are many resorts that you can decide what one you would like to stay at or you can do on the trails that are all around as well.  Whatever one you decide to do you will enjoy seeing the scenery and have a wonderful time.

One resort that is well known for their “Most Family Friendly Resort” is the Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort. The resort is located between Ironwood Michigan and Bessemer Michigan. A plus side that this resort has is a rental area for equipment like most resorts, but this resort will let you rent your equipment for your entire stay and will let you take the equipment to other resorts as long as their things get returned. Equipment rental cost anywhere from $20 to $98, which is from one to four days. The items you can rent at ski equipment or snowboarding equipment. The Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort has lessons for the people who would like to learn how to ski. They have a “Learn It & Love It” Special which includes rentals, a beginner area lift ticket and a two hour morning or afternoon lesson for just one low price. It is suggested to call ahead the week before you are going on vacation there if you are planning on taking a lesson class. This is because their reputation has grown for the class and they may fill up fast. This is just insuring you that you have a spot that you would like. Lift ticket rates range from $31 to $156 ranging from one day to four days. Certain lifts may not be open right away and the hours of the lifts are 9am to 4pm daily and Christmas Day is 10am to 4pm. Snowboards are welcome on all trails and the two terrain parks. If you are planning to be there a lot, you may just save money by getting a season pass. The prices for the season pass starts at $215 as the lowest to $410. The more you buy the cheaper the price is per ticket.

The Pine Mountain Resort, located in Iron Mountain Michigan always has kids under 12 skis for free per paying adult. Ski lift prices vary on the day you are there. Prices go anywhere from $10 to $39. You can rent equipment as well, anything from just poles for skiing to the whole snowboard/skiing package. The prices go from $3 to $25. The Pine Mountain Resort has packages you can pick from as well. One package is the Midweek Get-Away (Sunday through Thursday).  It offers one night of lodging, up to two adult lift tickets starting at $80. Another package is the Weekend Get-Away. This package offers two nights of lodging on Friday and Saturday, up to two adult lift tickets (good for Friday, Saturday or Sunday), and the price starts at $278.00. The last package that is offered is the Family Get-Away. This package offers two nights of lodging on Friday and Saturday, up to four lift tickets good for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The lift tickets are two adult ones and two junior tickets. This package price is starting at $349. The resort is a four season, full service resort that offers different packages throughout the year. You can always go to http://www.skimichigan.com/pinemountain/ to see what packages they may be offering when you are planning on taking your trip.

In Ontonagon County you have the chance to ski the Porkies. The Porkies has 11 miles of slope covering 100 acres over a 320 acre area. The daily tow rates are the lowest of any comparable ski area because it is a state park ski area. Along the trails there are many vantage points and you also can view Lake Superior. You will be able to witness the changing ice patterns as far as the eye can see. The average temperature on the Porkies is about 10-20 degrees in the winter which is warmer than the inland ski areas. Some ski lodging places in the area are: AmericInn of Silver City, A Cabin/A Cottage Up North, Mountain View Lodges, Porcupine Lodge LLC, Scott’s Superior Inn and many more. Feel free to visit: http://www.ontonagon.net/ski/ for more information and more places to stay.

The Whitecap Mountains is located on the western end of Lake Superior Snow Belt, just west of Hurley, Wisconsin and Ironwood, Michigan. The sprawling mountain skiing complex included 43 runs from double diamond expert trails to easy runs for the beginners.  There is a Bunny Hill with a rope tow and the Polar Bear with the Magic Carpet Lift for the kids who are skiing. This makes their experience at the resort and learning how to ski fun for them. The resort also has a restaurant, bakery and deli that are open along with full service ski and snowboard rental, repair shop and gift shop. There are a total of three mountains that you will be able to ski on your visit to Whitecap Mountains. For rates on the ski lifts and season passes you can visit: http://www.skiwhitecap.com/rates-packages#rates.

The Drummond Island Resort and Conference Center is a great place to go cross country skiing. It has 2000 acres of woods, water and wildlife. The resort is located on the North Shore of Drummond Island. There is a rental shop that you are able to rent your cross country skiing equipment from if you do not have your own. At the resort there is a 40 room hotel in the main lodge, there is also cottages and cabins anywhere from one bedroom to five bedrooms. If you would like more information on the Drummond Island Resort visit: http://www.drummondisland.com/.

In Chassell Michigan there is the Chassell Classic Ski Trails that can be good for the whole family or for the traditional skier. There are hills, but they have been designed to provide an ample landing space at the bottom with no surprise corners. The 1.0km lighted trails will add hours of skiing time to the short winter days.  The land is privately owned and the Chassell Recreation Club has made this trail what it is today. The trails usually get groomed Wednesday and Friday and when necessary on the weekends. When the snow is heavy the trails will be groomed five days a week. There are two trails that you can pick from. There is the lower trail, which is 4.3km. The skill on the trail is for easy to intermediate. There is a sloping terrain through a varied stand of trees then interspersed with clearings. The second trail is called the Paradise Loop, which is 4.4km long. The skill of this trail is also easy to intermediates. There are gently rolling hills past a pond and through the woods. Located on the ice rink there is a warming hut if needed and further down the trail there is a resting shack.

Maasto Hiihto Cross Country Ski Trails in Houghton, Michigan has trails for beginners to expert skiers. You can access the trails from many points, but the main trailhead is located at the Houghton County Arena.  Trail grooming is performed with the tucker and it goes through five to seven days a week. There are a total of six different trails that people can enjoy. The first trail is called Quincy Loop, 2.5km, for the skiers who need something easy. The trail has gently rolling terrain. The second trail is called St. Urho’s Loop and it is 2.5k long and for the skiers who need something easy. Another trail is called the Gorge Loop. This trail is 6.5km and is best if skied by the intermediate to expert skiers. There is rolling terrain, picnic spots and beautiful vistas. The Australia Loop is 3.5km long and is great for the intermediate skier. On this trail you will have beautiful overlooks and more pronounced rolling terrain. The last trail is the Mieto Loop is 1km long and is best if only the expert skier does this trail. There is lots of down and back up skiing to take on. The daily membership pass is $2.00, the annual membership pass is $15.00 for an individual or $20 per family; children ski for free.