Wisconsin, Usa

Cascade Mountain

47 runs, 175 acres near Madison, Wisconsin. Eleven lifts, night skiing, Walz family-owned since 1977.

Season 2025 - 2026

Opens

6 Dec 2025

Closes

13 Apr 2026

Days open

128

Annual snow

4ft

The Overview

Michael Fulton

Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

Cascade Mountain's summit reaches 1,280 feet, dropping roughly 460 vertical feet to a base at 820 feet across 47 runs spread over 175 acres near Portage, Wisconsin. Terrain splits 40 per cent intermediate, 38 per cent beginner, 21 per cent advanced and 1 per cent expert. Average annual snowfall is low at roughly 50 inches, meaning the resort depends heavily on snowmaking. Cascade Mountain carries no major multi-resort pass affiliation and remains independently, family-owned.

Eleven lifts, including four quads, two doubles, two triples and three surface lifts, serve the 47-run network, a dense lift count for a Wisconsin hill of this size. Night skiing runs alongside daytime operations, popular with visitors from the Madison area roughly 30 minutes away. A 2016 expansion added eight trails and two chairlifts, growing skiable terrain by roughly 30 per cent. The resort's beginner and intermediate-heavy terrain suits families and learning skiers.

Local developer Dewey Belton opened Cascade Mountain on 13 January 1962 as part of a planned recreational community near Portage. Financial difficulties in 1974 saw control pass briefly to North Carolina National Bank, which oversaw operations into the early 1980s. Phil and Adele Walz bought the ski operation in 1977, beginning continuous family ownership that passed to their children Rob and Vicky Walz in 2006, with a third generation now involved in daily operations. The Walz family's 2016 expansion added eight trails and two chairlifts, growing the resort's terrain by around 30 per cent to its current scale.

With no major pass affiliation, Cascade Mountain sells its own day tickets and season passes directly. Adult full-day tickets range from 65 to 99 US dollars depending on date, with night skiing available separately and a Platinum Season Pass at 599 dollars. The resort suits Madison-area families seeking accessible, learning-focused skiing roughly 30 minutes from the city. Its continuous Walz family ownership since 1977, now spanning three generations, sets it apart from larger corporate Midwest competitors.

459ft

Vertical

Runs

175 acres

Skiable

4ft

Annual snow

The Terrain

47 runs across 175 acres skiable

Cascade Mountain spreads 47 runs across 175 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 40%, with 18 beginner runs to find your feet and 10 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

Terrain split

runs

47 runs across 4 grades

Beginner18 runs · 38%

Intermediate19 runs · 40%

Advanced10 runs · 21%

Expert0 runs · 1%

Time it right

When to visit Cascade Mountain

The 2025-26 season at Cascade Mountain ran from 6 December 2025 to 13 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week window supported substantially by snowmaking. The resort's low natural snowfall means season length depends heavily on temperatures suitable for artificial snow production. Season dates can shift based on early and late-season weather. This is a comparatively long season given Cascade Mountain's modest natural snowfall totals.

Average annual snowfall of roughly 50 inches is low even by Midwest standards, meaning Cascade Mountain depends on snowmaking for nearly all of its season-long conditions rather than natural accumulation. This makes temperature, far more than storm cycles, the key variable in the resort's operating reliability. Base depth is maintained almost entirely through machine-made snow. Specific snowmaking coverage percentage is not confirmed in available resort information, though it is understood to be extensive given the low natural totals.

Midwinter, from late December through February, typically offers the most reliable conditions once snowmaking has built a consistent base. Night skiing sessions extend the useful hours of each day, particularly popular with Madison-area commuters. Weekend crowds are heavier than weekdays, given the resort's role serving day-trip visitors from Madison and surrounding communities. Late-season visits into April can be inconsistent as temperatures warm and snowmaking becomes less viable.

Cascade Mountain's calendar centres on family and learning-focused programming rather than festival events, consistent with its beginner and intermediate-heavy terrain. The Walz family's continuous ownership since 1977, now into a third generation, has shaped operating priorities toward steady, family-oriented growth rather than destination-style programming. Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. As a Madison-area day-trip resort, the calendar leans toward reliable, accessible conditions throughout the season.

Season 2025 - 2026

6 Dec 2025

Opens

13 Apr 2026

Closes

128

Days open

4 ft

Annual snow

Getting there

Getting to Cascade Mountain, and where to stay

Cascade Mountain sits near Portage, Wisconsin, with a base elevation of 820 feet and a summit at 1,280 feet across a vertical drop of roughly 460 feet over 175 acres. This is south-central Wisconsin, a region of rolling hills and farmland rather than mountainous terrain. The resort was originally developed as part of a planned recreational community by developer Dewey Belton in the early 1960s. Portage itself is a small city along the Wisconsin River.

Portage is the nearest town of note, with Madison, Wisconsin's capital and second-largest city, roughly 30 minutes away by road and the resort's primary visitor source. The Wisconsin Dells, a well-known tourism destination, sits nearby, adding to the area's broader recreational profile. The region carries a mix of farmland and small-town character alongside its recreational draws. Milwaukee lies further east, a longer drive but still within reasonable day-trip range for some visitors.

Interstate 90/94 and local roads connect Portage and Cascade Mountain to the broader south-central Wisconsin highway network. The drive from Madison takes roughly 30 minutes under normal conditions, a key factor in the resort's popularity as an after-work and weekend destination. Winter driving on Wisconsin highways can include snow and ice, though major routes are generally well-maintained. No direct public transport service reaches the resort itself.

Dane County Regional Airport in Madison is the nearest airport with commercial service, roughly 30 to 40 minutes from the resort by road. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport offers a larger range of flight options but sits considerably further away. Most visitors reach Cascade Mountain by car directly from the Madison area rather than flying into a specific regional airport. No rail service reaches the resort directly.

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From the SnowStash desk

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Cascade Mountain Lift System

Cascade Mountain runs eleven lifts: four quad chairs, two double chairs, two triple chairs and three surface lifts, serving 47 runs across 175 acres. This is a dense lift network for a Wisconsin resort of this size, supporting strong visitor volumes from the nearby Madison metropolitan area. Quad chairs provide the primary uphill capacity across the mountain's beginner and intermediate-heavy terrain. There is no gondola or six-pack chair given the resort's modest vertical drop.

The Walz family's 2016 expansion added two chairlifts alongside eight new trails, part of a 9 million US dollar investment that grew skiable terrain by roughly 30 per cent to 175 acres. This followed decades of more incremental additions since Phil and Adele Walz took over ski operations in 1977. Quad and triple chairs distribute skiers across the resort's various sectors, while three surface lifts serve beginner and terrain park zones. Night skiing lighting covers a substantial portion of the lift-served terrain.

All lifts return to a base area within the compact 175-acre footprint and roughly 460-foot vertical drop. There is no mid-mountain facility given the resort's modest scale. The dense lift spacing keeps travel between different terrain sections short. This layout suits a resort focused on high-frequency day and evening visits from the nearby Madison market.

The 2016 expansion represents Cascade Mountain's most significant lift investment under third-generation Walz family involvement, adding capacity alongside new terrain. Earlier lift additions occurred incrementally since the Walz family's 1977 purchase, following North Carolina National Bank's brief 1970s ownership period. Continuous family reinvestment has been the resort's stated growth model since 1977. Further lift changes beyond the 2016 expansion are not confirmed in available resort information.

11lifts across 4 types

Quad Chairs

Triple Chairs

Double Chairs

Surface Lifts

Cascade Mountain lift system

Cascade Mountain is served by 11 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.

More Cascade Mountain intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.