Marquette with the coolest park features in the midwest | Photo (+Cover): Marquette Mountain

Marquette, Michigan is the largest city on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This city of 21,000 sits on Lake Superior and is home to Northern Michigan University.  Approximately four miles south of town, you’ll find Marquette Mountain, a modest hill that’s serious about skiing. This mountain is excited to bring some new improvements to the table this upcoming winter in a mission to provide the best possible experience for those hearty “Michiganders.”

Ski Terrain:

Marquette Mountain boasts a summit of 1357′ and offers a 600′ vertical drop. The hill is located just a few miles from the shores of Lake Superior and receives generous doses of lake-effect snow. As you might imagine, Upper Peninsula winters are quite cold, which in turn allows for optimal snowmaking. Marquette Mountain is open everyday and offers night skiing seven days a week.

The go-to on a powder day | Photo: Marquette Mountain

Those who prefer high speeds and steep terrain will find what they need smack dab in the middle of the hill on the Rocket and Cliffs Ridge trails. Skiers left of chair 2 features more intermediate terrain including Shaker and Snowfield.

Marquette lovingly crafts three terrain parks of differing gnar-levels for the jibbers and airborne crowd. Skiers right of chair 3 you will find Marquette’s backcountry zone that features tree skiing and natural, ungroomed, terrain.

Big News For 2018/2019:

Marquette has announced some huge news for the upcoming winter. These improvements will help crank the fun-level to 11.

Prices are dropping big time. These type of price drops are rare in the ski industry these days and as such, deserve an Unofficial salute. Day passes will now be an eye-popping $25.00.

Lake effect, in effect | Photo: Marquette Mountain

Other improvements include a serious upgrade to their fleet of groomers. The mountain will introduce two additional groomers for those who like laying down trenches and tearing up corduroy. 20 snow guns have also been procured to bury the mountain more effectively.

“We decided that skiing was too pricey for families– well everybody, we cut prices almost in half. Season Passes are $249. Period. Students (7 and up) $99. The Daily Lift Ticket will be $25. Period.”Marquette Mountain Facebook Post

Night skiing too will be brighter thanks to a new LED system that is currently being installed.

Find the entire Facebook announcement here. 

History:

Marquette Mountain started offering skiing in 1957 under the name Cliffs Ridge in order to help pass time during the long, ‘Yooper’ winters. A single T-bar brought skiers to the top of the hill and a few years later, a second T-bar was installed. By 1972 Cliffs Ridge installed its first chairlift, a double chair that ran alongside the Rocket trail. In 1982, the mountain was renamed Marquette Mountain.

Mountain Stats:

  • Summit Elevation: 1357′
  • Vertical Drop: 600′
  • Average Snowfall: 210″
  • Skiable Acres:: 169
  • Chairlifts: 3
  • Surface Lifts: 1
  • Trails: 35
  • Terrain Parks: 3
  • Snowmaking: Yes
  • Night Skiing: Yes
  • Rentals: Yes
  • Adult Lift Tickets: 25%

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About The Ski Hill Shoutout:

The bulk of skiers don’t have the luxury of falling in love with the sport at gargantuan mountains such as Vail or Killington. Most of us became hooked on this special sport by blasting countless laps at a local hill that offered a more modest experience. These local hills provided a more affordable and convenient option for many families. 2018 is a difficult time to operate a small ski hill and unfortunately, many are being forced to shut down. At Unofficial, we recognize the importance of these local hills that offer a more realistic entry to the sport of skiing. Our Ski Hill Shoutout feature is a way to recognize the importance of these core, grassroots, areas and we hope to direct some well-deserved attention to them. Long live the local hill. 

Also Read: Ski Hill Shoutout: Snowy Range Ski Area | Centennial, WY

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