I apologize for posting this in the "Local Resort" area, but I wasn't sure where else to put it.

Has anyone been to Cascade Mountain in the Wisconsin Dells? I'm meeting a friend there in February who has traded some timeshare points for a nearby resort (Wilderness Resort maybe?). We are both bringing our sons (ages 6 & 7). There's not a lot of elevation, but it looks like a very family/kid friendly place so I expect we'll have a good time. I was just curious if anyone had any first-hand experience they would be willing to share.

Cascade was my "home" area when I was in grad school in Madison, WI. This would have been 15 years ago, but hopefully my recollections will not be too far off target. They have a pretty decent assortment of terrain by midwest standards. Skier's right on the hill has the black runs, which are short of course but steep enough to be interesting. One of these runs was really narrow and wound through the trees, which was a nice change of pace. Note that most of these runs are not lit for night skiing, so keep that in mind if you are planning to ski at night. They always let two runs mogul up pretty good, so if bumps are your thing you should be good to go (FWIW, the 2 mogul runs are lit for night skiing, a fact we appreciated during $10 college night on Fridays). Skier's left on the hill was more blue/green, but there are some fun runs there as well. I think in the years since I last skied there they have done a good job with park features, half-pipes, etc, but I have less experience with this.

Being that I was in school and single at the time, I can't really attest to how family/kid friendly the place is. Let us know what you find!

Finally, I should also point out that there are 2 other ski areas in the vicinity: Devil's Head (which is actually closer to the Dells, I think) and Tyrol Basin. I've never skied Devil's Head, but I though Tyrol Basin was pretty fun (but smaller than cascade). Might be worth checking out if you are going to be there for several days.

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

As the resident small hills mid-western skier this is my kind of place! I havent skied it but I did drive by one time pre-opening and they had the guns going. It is right of the highway so you probally see the interstate from the slopes. It is a typical low rise slow lift mid western resort. But low prices and freindly people. It will be freezing in February. Dont expect vail or even 7's but these places can be fun if you let them.

Remember It is not about the size of the hill, it is how many time you go up and down!

FROM SKIERNET>COM
Cascade Mountain, Portage (Madison Metro) 135 skiable acres on 460' vertical
Specs: Summit elevation: 1280'; Base elevation: 820'. 10 Lifts: 3 quads, 3 triples, 2 doubles, 1 rope tow, 1 magic carpet. Uphill capacity: 15,300/hr. Terrain Mix: 37-19-44. Longest Run: 1800'. Season: usually late November to mid-March. Night skiing 7 days. Rentals & Lessons. Annual Snowfall: 80". Snowmaking: 100%.
The SKInny: Has a reputation for being crowded, although their stated capacity would belie that. Known for being the best skiing in the state, with the slowest lines on the planet -- from lift ticket purchases to rentals to liftlines -- you'll do much better at Cascade during the week, or plan on arriving before 9:00 AM on Saturdays. Nice mogul trail for hotshots, best layout in WI for wanderers. All around good ski area...not great...good.
Signature Trail: North Wall or Mogul Monster.

Nice.

When I saw the Cascade Mountain discussion, I was thinking, "Cascade Mountain, as in... Wisconsin?"

I just got back to NOVA today after spending 5 days out in Milwaukee & Madison. Enjoyed the 7-10" that fell late last week and the WISCONSIN win over undefeated Purdue at the Kohl Center.

With regards to Cascade, I never skied the hill, but I can tell you that when I was a freshman at UW-Madison (6 yrs ago), all my friends in the dorms recommended that I don't go. While it does offer some local entertainment, the majority of badgers head up to the Michigan UP for better skiing.

Enjoy the recent snow, cold temps, and best beer in the land.

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When you say Wisconsin, you've said it all.

I have to respectively disagree. It is certainly true that the Michigan UP offers far better skiing. It is also 5-6 hours away from Madison. Kinda hard to do that on a Friday night and make it back to town before the bars close.

For a couple trips a season, the UP is great, no doubt about it. But for a weekly fix, Cascade is just fine.

Certainly, and in fact, it would be impossible to hit up the UP and make it back to Madison on ANY night. For those residing in southern Wisconsin, the UP is intended as a MULTI-DAY trip.

If one can afford the time, it is best to save the cascade money and use it elsewhere.

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When you say Wisconsin, you've said it all.

I'd say our trip to Cascade Mountain was a success. Conditions and weather were great, crowds weren't bad (especially on Monday), the staff were friendly, and we all had fun.

The boys took snowboard lessons with Cascade Kids Sunday and Monday morning. On Monday, it was just the two of them and the instructor.

My friend, who typically skis, wanted to give snowboarding a try this trip, so he was also learning and spending time on the bunny slopes. That left me pretty much solo for the mornings.

In the afternoon (both days), my son traded in his snowboard for skiis. It was clear by that time that he was done with the slow pace of learning, and wanted to go fast. For a while, we were just playing around on the bunny slopes as well, but then he said he wanted to go to the top! So, to the top we went. It was a blast riding down the bigger/longer slopes with him. And most important, he was having a blast.

It's definitely not a big resort type atmosphere, but if you are ever in the area it is worth a visit.