Photo by Ryan Taylor
Lutsen is an anomaly of Minnesota geography. Where else in the state can you stand between four mountains, surrounded by ski and snowboard runs on all sides, while a gondola hums overhead? Moose, Eagle, Ullr, and Mystery mountains all combine at the top of Ski Hill Road to create an unparalleled alpine scene for the Midwest. Moreover, they all overlook stunning Lake Superior, ratcheting up the “Am I really in Minnesota?” factor a notch. Your vertical vacation is guaranteed in Lutsen.
The best part of all? Your Lutsen playground extends far beyond the chairlifts and terrain parks. Not an “extreme” type? There are hundreds of miles of trails around Lutsen for fat biking, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling (all managed by volunteer boards). Want to break your own trail? The Superior Hiking Trail is perfect for snowshoeing in winter to the top of Oberg Mountain. Not enough snow? Wild ice skating on area lakes is usually peaking in January. Ice fishing, too. Just want to relax? Lutsen’s cafes, winery, and a multitude of sauna destinations will help you define hygge—the North Shore’s adopted Danish word that translates as “cozy,” but which really means “winter is good.” And finally, there’s Lutsen’s finest local product, the best souvenir you can get—real maple syrup straight from the town’s sugar shacks. These highlands are sugar maple country.
Here’s how to skip flying to Colorado, standing in line at the car rental, and cursing the inflammatory (or is that inflationary?) western prices. Go make the Superior National Forest in Lutsen your own alpine playground instead.
Lutsen Mountains Ski Area
“Lutsen Mountains” is the name of the town’s ski and snowboard destination, operated by Midwest Family Ski Resorts. Famous for its red gondola that floats through the sky, Lutsen Mountains has the state’s longest run at 2 miles (with 825 feet of vertical drop) on Moose Mountain. There are 95 different runs altogether, serviced by seven different chairlifts, including the Summit Express Gondola, two six-passenger high speed lifts, three two-person chairlifts, and one magic carpet. Kids- and beginner-friendly runs, terrain parks, and the best kept secret of all—60 acres of tree skiing—round out Lutsen’s immense variety.
Photo by Ryan Taylor
Audrey Trimble, marketing and event manager for Lutsen Mountains, notes that the ski hill has worked hard to extend its season. “A new snowmaking line has replaced the old for this winter on Mystery Mountain,” she says. “The system is now stronger and more reliable, with our goal of getting all mountains open earlier and longer. Our snowmaking systems are only getting better to keep that snow on the trails for as long as possible.” The resort is proud to be back to skiing on all four mountains this season following Mystery Mountain’s snowmaking update. It’s important to note the ski day lasts from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lutsen, so be prepared for some serious après ski.
Lutsen Mountains is making music a top priority once again, and the best place to hear it is at Lofty Gondola—a ski-themed bar and restaurant at the top of the Scandinavian Chalet. Guests can enjoy drinks, pizza, and live music at Lofty Gondola until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The newest eating establishment at Lutsen Mountains is Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, which opened last summer. Kjersti Vick, a Lutsen resident, says the new bistro looks dramatically different from the previous Papa Charlie’s. “The mountain pops out when you walk in,” says Vick. “You can see straight through to Moose Mountain.” If you’re looking for a more relaxed energy (and the best espresso martini you’ve ever had) after a day of skiing, head over to Charlie’s, which opens for dinner starting at 3 p.m. each day.
At the end of the day, you can kick back in one of the 84 on-mountain lodging units at Lutsen Mountains, including Eagle Ridge Resorts, two new slopeside condos converted from the former hotel registration building, or the brand-new Sunset Studios, which boast eight studios with the best views of the mountains. Of these eight studios, four are ADA compliant, with walk-in showers and walk-out doors to the slopes. Resort amenities include a heated outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, a fitness center, and a dry sauna.
More Slopeside Choices
Lining Ski Hill Road, yet not part of Lutsen Mountains resort, are a collection of alternative food and lodging options that all capitalize on proximity to the skiing.
Moguls Grille and Taproom, open for lunch and dinner 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., is a ski-in/ski-out restaurant. Try their “frickles” (breaded and fried pickle spears) and “handheld” options for a mid-ski lunch, then clip back into your bindings and head straight out the door to more powder. Or come after 5 p.m. for entrees like Swedish meatballs with mushroom gravy or Osso Bucco pork shank with parmesan risotto. Relive the glory of that tail grab you pulled off, or the box or rail you hit in the terrain park, while sharing stories over a hot dinner.
Moguls is located within Caribou Highlands Lodge and Residences, operated by Odyssey Resorts, a Duluth-based company. The lodge rooms, condos, townhomes, and Poplar Ridge Homes at Caribou Highlands can cover parties of two to 14 people, so bring your friends.
Photo by Adam Borgstahl
Saunas and Syrups
Another creative and dynamic housing option just down Ski Hill Road are the Ski Hill Cabins and Saunas, featuring a “chalet village” of four Scandinavian-style cabins, each with its own sauna. The cabins, designed by Minneapolis architect Carl Gauhey of Grayspace Architecture, feature in-floor heating, metal roofs, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a full kitchen. The saunas can fit up to eight people, and the cabins will hold 10.
One of the coolest collaborations in the whole state is North Shore Winery’s winter partnership with Sisu + Löyly Nordic Sauna out of Grand Marais. Katie Usem, proprietress of Sisu + Löyly, hauls her wood-fired, six-person mobile sauna to North Shore Winery (yet another Ski Hill Road business) and leaves it there from November to May for people to have a glass of wine and then take a hot sauna in one setting.
North Shore Winery sources grapes from California and Minnesota for its wine production. Sawtooth Mountain Cider House—another wing of the Winery—uses local apples for its products. It also taps into local maple syrup boiled by Caribou Cream, located just up the Caribou Trail in Lutsen, to make “Herbie’s Blend”—a unique cider and maple syrup combo.
Caribou Cream taps over 4,000 sugar maples in 65 acres of sugarbush in Lutsen. The maples like the loamy, slightly acidic soil of the higher elevation of the Sawtooth Mountains. This year Caribou Cream maple syrup took home the Minnesota Maple Syrup Producers Association best of show award from the Minnesota State Fair, and first place for their Golden Maple Syrup.
Another maple syrup tasting option is Wild Country Maple Syrup, which is a little harder to get to, on Barker Lake Road in Lutsen, but open year-round, including regular tours throughout the winter months. “Maple syrup is kind of a big deal in Lutsen,” says Kjersti Vick. “Both sugar shacks have their products available for sale with an honors system.” Vick adds that most of the shops in the area also carry local maple syrup.
Off Piste
Everywhere’s your playground in Lutsen, and you don’t need gravity to get you in the groove. “There’s always some kind of outdoor activity you can do here,” says Andrew Price, former Lutsen Resort outdoor recreation guide. “The cross-country skiing is world class,” explains Price, who recommends both the Sugarbush Trail System, which is nestled in the woods just west of Lutsen, and the Norpine Trail System, which connects right to Ski Hill Road from the east.
Price says there are trails for skiers of all skill levels in the Sugarbush system: “You can ski from the Britton Peak trailhead out the massive Picnic Loop (bring a picnic with) if you’re an advanced skier or ski the groomed Onion River Road if you’re a beginner.”
Price is also a big fan of the Oberg Mountain snowshoe trail, which connects with the Sugarbush system at the drivable section of Onion River Road in Lutsen. Here, you’re snowshoeing on the Superior Hiking Trail, breaking trail after a big snow fall. Snowshoe and Hok Ski (a snowshoe and ski hybrid) rentals are available from Sawtooth Outfitters in Tofte.
A tremendous backcountry skiing opportunity in good powder years can be found at the Finland Glades, located off County Route 6 (known as Little Marais Road by the locals) in nearby Finland. Leave the groomers behind and go seek out both downhill and uphill ski travel experiences with Superior Highland Backcountry. This local organization, based at Lutsen Recreation Inc. ski rental and pro shop at 245 Ski Hill Road in Lutsen, conducts hands-on ski tours of the backcountry “with experience and stoke.”
Courtesy of Buffalo Media Group
Winter Events, Too
If you’re looking for exotic northern Minnesota culture, check out the John Beargrease Sled Dog Race, held the weekend of Jan. 25-28 from Duluth up the North Shore all the way to Grand Portage. Not exotic enough for you? Partake in the Lutsen Trail Breakers Blast from the Past Vintage Snowmobile Ride, held on Feb. 7 at Cascade Lodge. This family-friendly event includes a group ride on vintage snowmobiles, proving that the town of Lutsen is much more than just a trendy ski resort.
