Announcing Snow River Ski Resort

For downhill ski and snowboard enthusiasts in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, exciting times are ahead. An investment group recently purchased the famous Big Snow ski resort and plan to invest a considerable amount of money in updating the two ski areas and improving the overall experience. As part of this purchase, the group has renamed it from Big Snow to Snow River Mountain Resort. Here is everything you need to know about what changes are coming and why skiers across the Midwest are so excited.

All About Snow River Mountain Resort
Snow River Mountain Resort is the largest ski resort in the Upper Peninsula. The resort is located just outside of the small town of Wakefield. The resort is about 12 miles east of Ironwood, home of the famous clothing brand Stormy Kromer and considered by many locals and tourists to be one of the best towns in the Upper Peninsula. Thanks to the lake-effect snow from nearby Lake Superior, the area routinely gets more than 150 inches of powder per year and is one of the snowiest places in the country.

The resort dates back to the 1950s and is the oldest ski area in the entire Upper Peninsula. It was initially founded as Indianhead Mountain Resort. In 2008, the resort absorbed the nearby Blackjack Mountain Resort and was then renamed, Big Snow.

Snow River Mountain Resort consists of two ski areas located approximately one mile apart. Combined, the two ski hills have a total of 56 runs that range from beginner to expert, and 14 different chairlifts which provide access to all of the runs.

Along with renaming the resort itself, the new ownership group has also changed the names of the two ski areas. The old Indianhead ski area is now known as Jackson Creek Summit, and the name of the Blackjack ski area changed to Black River Basin, both named from the two rivers that run through the resorts.

Black River Basin is home to more beginner and intermediate runs and is an excellent choice for families or anyone just learning how to ski. Black River Basin is more of a smaller ski hill experience, it’s not more beginner or intermediate. Jackson Creek Summit is more of a full resort experience. On Jackson Creek Summit, you will find more advanced runs that are perfect for skiers and snowboarders looking for bigger thrills. Purchasing a lift ticket for the resort gives you full access to both ski areas should you wish to experience everything Snow River has to offer.

One of the biggest issues that have plagued the resort for many years is the time it takes to travel between the two ski areas. The new owners plan to eventually address this problem by building an additional ski lift that will directly connect the two hills, which locals have talked about for years. This chairlift should drastically reduce travel time between the two mountains to make it much easier for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy the best of both hills.

Unfortunately, there has yet to be a concrete timeline as to when construction of the new lift will start. Currently, the only way to travel between the two areas is via a shuttle bus that runs once every half hour, and the new owners plan to keep the shuttle running until the new chairlift can finally be built to connect the two mountains.

Along with the two ski areas, the resort also features a ton of other amenities. At Jackson Creek Summit, you will find the Jackson Creek Lodge, which offers accommodation and several options for food and drink. The Sky Bar is a great place to relax after a long day of skiing while enjoying the stunning scenery and sampling a wide selection of craft cocktails, beers, and pub food. You can also stop by the Cafeteria to pick up a quick snack, browse the large retail store, or rent skiing and snowboarding equipment. Logger’s Lodge at Black River Basin also offers an extensive food and drink menu, locker rooms, and equipment rentals.

You will also find a ton of excellent possibilities for lodging, entertainment, food and drinks in Ironwood, which also hosts numerous fun festivals during the winter and throughout the entire year. Lodging and dining opportunities are also available in other nearby towns in the Upper Peninsula, including Bessemer and Wakefield.

Midwest Family Ski Resorts
The new project is owned by Midwest Family Ski Resorts, who plan to use their years of experience to help update Snow River Mountain Resort and make it one of the Midwest’s best downhill skiing destinations. Midwest Family Ski Resorts already owns Granite Peak, the largest ski area in Michigan and one of the region’s most popular. They also run Lutsen Mountains Ski Resort, which is located on the shores of Lake Superior in Minnesota.

As part of their purchase of Snow River, Midwest Family Ski Resorts has announced that they will now offer a yearly Legendary Pass. The first of these passes went on sale back in early September and is expected to be a massive hit with Midwest ski enthusiasts. Purchasing the Legendary Pass entitles you to unlimited skiing at not just Snow River but also Granite Peak and Lutsen.

Lutsen Mountains Ski Resort is approximately a four-hour drive from Snow River, while Granite Peak is only about two hours away. These short distances should help to make the new Legendary Pass a huge hit as it enables you to easily enjoy unique thrills at three of the Midwest’s top ski destinations.

The Future of Snow River Mountain Resort
In addition to building a chairlift to connect the two ski hills, Midwest Family Ski Resorts plans to make other significant changes to Snow River over the coming years. The ownership group immediately set about updating many of the resort’s older facilities as soon as the purchase was finalized, and renovations are set to continue over the next few years. The company has already updated many of the resort’s hotel rooms and renovated many of the ski support buildings.

One of the most exciting changes is scheduled for the 2023-2024 ski season when Snow River opens the Upper Peninsula’s first high-speed detachable chairlift. The new lift will be known as the Voyageur Express and will replace the Voyager Quad, Leelinaw Triple, and Chippewa Double lifts at Jackson Creek Summit. Once completed, it will be the first six-person chairlift in the Upper Peninsula.

The new ownership group has also announced that they plan to invest in new snowmaking machinery for the resort in the near future. Despite the considerable amount of snowfall the area receives every year, the new snowmaking equipment should allow the resort to open earlier and provide much better early-season skiing and snowboarding opportunities.

Big Snow was always a popular ski destination for people across the Upper Peninsula. However, all of the new changes should help to make Ironwood one of the ski capitals of the Midwest and ensure that Snow River Mountain Resort is more than capable of competing with other regional resorts for the title of the Midwest’s best ski resort.