8 of the Best Ski Resorts in Michigan to Visit This Winter, According to Local Experts

"Michigan is well known for its Great Lakes coastline, but a less-celebrated perk of the Wolverine State is access to great skiing. "No matter where you are in Michigan, you're within a 2.5-hour drive of a ski area," explains Mickey MacWilliams, MIsnow founder and former executive director of the Michigan Snowsports Industries Association. The state boasts a typical ski season of 100 to 104 days, has over 40 ski resorts, and garners up to 2.4 million skier visits each year."

"Even skiers who are used to the big mountains of Colorado and California can find something they love about Midwestern skiing, as Michigan-based food and travel writer (and former collegiate alpine racer) Stacey Brugeman explains. "When we left after 12 years in Colorado to return to Michigan, our home state, we were acutely aware that we were giving up the mountains for the water. Northern Michigan is (rightly) celebrated for its summer season. But winters here have been the most unexpected surprise.""

Michigan provides extensive skiing opportunities across the state, with most locations reachable within a 2.5-hour drive. Typical ski seasons run 100 to 104 days and the state records up to 2.4 million skier visits annually. Many resorts offer night skiing and occasional northern lights views. Midwestern skiing can satisfy skiers accustomed to larger mountains by delivering varied terrain and surprising winter experiences. Ski Brule in the Upper Peninsula occupies 3,000 acres with roughly 150 groomed acres, averages 150 inches of snow, uses snowmaking to extend a five-and-a-half-month season, and features 17 trails, 11 chairlifts, and three terrain parks.

Read at Travel + Leisure