Wisconsin, Usa
Granite Peak
58 runs, 700ft vertical, 155 acres on Rib Mountain near Wausau. Wisconsin's steepest, largest ski area.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
6 Dec 2025
Closes
13 Apr 2026
Days open
128
Annual snow
5ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Granite Peak's summit reaches 1,943 feet, dropping 700 vertical feet to a base at 1,243 feet across 58 runs spread over 155 acres on Rib Mountain near Wausau, Wisconsin. Terrain splits 45 per cent advanced, 24 per cent each beginner and intermediate, and 7 per cent expert, a notably steep mix for a Midwest resort. Average annual snowfall is low at roughly 65 inches, so the resort depends heavily on snowmaking. Granite Peak operates its own Legendary Pass, shared with Lutsen Mountains and other affiliated areas.
Ten lifts, including four quads, one six-pack and two triples, serve the 58-run network, giving Granite Peak the largest lift count of any Wisconsin ski area. The 700-foot vertical drop and steep terrain mix make it Wisconsin's largest and most advanced-leaning resort. The mountain sits within Rib Mountain State Park, one of the oldest ski areas in North America. Night skiing runs alongside daytime operations.
The Wausau Kiwanis Club donated land on Rib Mountain to the state in 1924, with the state acquiring further acreage soon after. The ski area opened in 1937, among the first in North America, with the Civilian Conservation Corps building the first downhill runs and tow ropes during the 1930s. A shelter house opened in 1939, described at the time as among the finest structures of its kind in the Midwest, hosting the Wausau Ski Club's first official function. Night skiing arrived in 1955 with 28 spotlights, and snowmaking followed in 1958, decades before it became standard at most competitors.
Granite Peak's Legendary Pass gives access alongside Lutsen Mountains in Minnesota and other affiliated areas under the same network. Adult full-day tickets range from 65 to 109 US dollars depending on date and time, with a discounted Wisconsin Wednesdays rate at 20 dollars and a Legendary Plus season pass at 699 dollars. The resort suits Wausau and central Wisconsin skiers seeking the state's largest and steepest terrain. Its operation on state park land under a private lease with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is a distinctive arrangement among Midwest resorts.
699ft
Vertical
58
Runs
155 acres
Skiable
5ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
58 runs across 155 acres skiable
Granite Peak spreads 58 runs across 155 acres skiable of terrain. It leans advanced at 45%, with 14 beginner runs to find your feet and 30 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
58
runs
58 runs across 4 grades
Beginner14 runs · 24%
Intermediate14 runs · 24%
Advanced26 runs · 45%
Expert4 runs · 7%
Time it right
When to visit Granite Peak
The 2025-26 season at Granite Peak 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 Granite Peak's modest natural snowfall totals.
Average annual snowfall of roughly 65 inches is low even by Midwest standards, meaning Granite Peak depends on snowmaking for nearly all of its season-long conditions. This makes temperature, far more than storm cycles, the key variable in operating reliability. Base depth is maintained largely through machine-made snow, a practice the resort has followed since adopting snowmaking in 1958. Specific current snowmaking coverage percentage is not confirmed in available resort information.
Midwinter, from late December through February, typically offers the most reliable conditions once snowmaking has built a consistent base across the resort's advanced-leaning terrain. Night skiing sessions, a Granite Peak tradition dating to 1955, extend the useful hours of each day throughout the season. Weekend crowds are heavier than weekdays, given the resort's role as Wisconsin's largest ski area. Late-season visits into April can be inconsistent as temperatures warm.
Granite Peak's calendar centres on serving skiers seeking the state's steepest terrain rather than festival programming. The resort's Legendary Pass connection to Lutsen Mountains and other affiliated areas ties its calendar loosely to a broader regional network. Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. As Wisconsin's largest and most advanced-leaning resort, the calendar leans toward serving committed skiers over beginner-focused programming.
Season 2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
13 Apr 2026
Closes
128
Days open
5 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Granite Peak, and where to stay
Granite Peak sits on Rib Mountain, within Rib Mountain State Park, in the Town of Rib Mountain, Marathon County, Wisconsin, just south of Wausau. Base elevation is 1,243 feet, with the summit reaching 1,943 feet across a 700-foot vertical drop over 155 acres. This is central Wisconsin, with Rib Mountain itself a well-known local landmark and one of the oldest ski areas in North America. The surrounding state park adds hiking and other recreation beyond the ski area.
Wausau is the nearest city of size, providing the bulk of lodging, dining and services beyond the resort itself. The Wausau Kiwanis Club's 1924 land donation to the state set the stage for the ski area's development on what was already public park land. The broader central Wisconsin region carries a mix of small-city and rural character. Green Bay and the Fox Valley lie a reasonable drive to the east.
US Highway 51 and Interstate 39 provide the main access route from Wausau and the broader central Wisconsin highway network. The drive from Wausau takes only a few minutes given the resort's position just south of the city. Milwaukee and Madison lie roughly two to three hours south by road. Winter driving conditions in central Wisconsin can include snow and ice, though major routes are generally well-maintained.
Central Wisconsin Airport, serving the Wausau area, is the nearest airport with limited commercial service. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport both offer substantially more flight options but sit two to three hours away by road. Most visitors reach Granite Peak by car directly from the Wausau area or drive up from Milwaukee or Madison. No rail service reaches the resort directly.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Granite Peak, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Current conditions
Snow Report
Updated 16 Aug 2026
1,942ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Partly Cloudy71°F / 81°F · NW 13mph
Snowfall
24 hours
0in
48 hours
0in
7 days
0in
Base depth
0in
Season total
0in
Total lifts10
Live open status isn’t available right now.
6 Dec 2025 - 13 Apr 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 43 hours· Updated Aug 16, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
1,942 ftUpdated Aug 16, 2026 at 5:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0"
Days 8–14
0.0"
Sun, Aug 16
Overcast
Temp81° / 71°°F
Snow0.0"(10%)
Wind13 mph NW
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Granite Peak snow report
Get the latest Granite Peak snow report — real-time snowfall, snow depth, and mountain weather for this Wisconsin resort, spanning 379m to 592m in elevation.
Snow measurements
Snow depth at Granite Peak is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 213m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
Weather conditions
Current weather conditions affect snow quality. Cold temperatures with low wind typically preserve snow quality, while warm temperatures or rain can impact conditions negatively — something worth watching closely at Granite Peak's 379m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Data sources
Snowfall and depth figures for Granite Peak come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 10 lifts, including 4 quad chairlifts and a 6-person chairlift.
When to check
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.