Franklin, Wisconsin — After being dealt a tough hand last month, Crystal Ridge is building back better than it was beforehand.
Due to its proximity to the Root River, a heavy rainstorm at the beginning of August led to flooding at Crystal Ridge Ski Area. This was a once-in-a-thousand-year flood, meaning it had a 0.1% chance of happening during a given year. The Wisconsin ski area has an upside-down format, meaning its guest service facilities were unaffected. However, the base terminal’s lift shacks, snowmaking pumphouse, and other buildings were impacted.
However, Crystal Ridge has been rebuilding quickly, as the damage has allowed the ski area to make some upgrades. This included a new lift shack, installing a more modern control panel, and upgrading the electric systems in the snowmaking pumphouse.
While unrelated to the flood, another addition for next season is snow igloos, which will be hangout spaces for snow tubers.
Opened in 1987, Crystal Ridge was created by using construction fill to erect a hill. The ski area rebranded to The Rock Snowpark to match the sports and entertainment district it’s a part of. However, the district was eventually renamed to become Ballpark Commons, leading the ski area to be rebranded as Crystal Ridge in 2024.
The ski area features a 230-foot vertical drop and 100% snowmaking coverage. With it being around a 15-minute drive from downtown Milwaukee, it’s the closest ski area to Wisconsin’s largest city.
Image Credits: Crystal Ridge Ski Area
