Cascade Mountain Ski Area

09/26/05

This Madison-area resort boasts the Midwest's first automatic snowmaking system.

by Contributor

The Scene
Located off I-90/94 near Portage, Wis., about 30 minutes north of Madison, Cascade Mountain has 27 runs on 160 acres. The hill juts out near the freeway, and its visibility makes it a popular stop-off.

The Slopes
Experts, intermediates and beginners get a fairly equal share of runs. The North Wall and Mogul Monster pose a challenge: The former is a fast fall-line run; the latter is a bumpy stretch running breathtakingly close to the "A" lift. For challenging-yet-gentle runs, try the Manitou and Debbi's runs. Beginners can hop over to the Cottontail and Bunny runs. Snowboarders are welcome at Cascade, which has a terrain park and a half-pipe. The hill is serviced by one towrope, one Magic Carpet lift, two double chairlifts, three triple chairlifts and four quad chairlifts.

Vital Stats
Vertical drop: 460 feet
Lifts: 8
Skiable acres: 160
Beginner terrain: 35 percent
Intermediate terrain: 20 percent
Advanced terrain: 45 percent
Snowboarding: Full facilities