Chestnut Mountain Resort

01/15/09

Great for beginner-intermediate

by DBellon

This mountain is great for beginers and intermediates. (I wouldn't know how to rate the advanced slopes beacuase I didn't try them!) The slopes have a nice variety of paths and difficutlies which are easy to navigate to and from. The snow on this particular day was nice which always helps. There were no long lines for lifts which are in pretty good shape. I have my own equipment, but I noticed that they upgraded their rental equipment this year and got the strap in bindings for their snowboards insteady of the snap in kind which can be very difficult to get on. The only thing that could have been better was the food, but then again, I have never gotten good food at a ski lodge!

• Cons: Website says $40 but I actually paid $45 for my lift ticket Saturday January 10,2009

09/26/06

Perched on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, this resort offers Illinois' best ski and snowboard slopes.

by Contributor

The Scene
The old river port town of Galena is known for its wealth of historic inns and shops, but skiing? Surprise. With its riverside setting, in some ways Chestnut resembles a miniature version of Quebec's Mont Ste-Anne ski area, where the St. Lawrence Seaway flows languidly below the resort.

The Slopes
This upside-down resort (the lodge is at the summit) offers one of the best teaching areas in the Midwest--at the top of the mountain--with its own runs and lift. For the more advanced set, two runs stand out: Eagle, which holds its own against any mogul run in the Great Lakes region, and Apache, with outstanding views of the river valley below. Most of the remaining runs are open cruisers that cascade down the bluff in long, lazy turns.

Vital Stats
Vertical drop: 475 feet
Lifts: 5
Beginner terrain: 30 percent
Intermediate terrain: 55 percent
Advanced terrain: 15 percent
Snowboarding: Full facilities