Grab some coffee and join us for Ski Resort Sundays (SRS), where each week, we take a brief look at a ski resort from around the Midwest. SRS episodes are uploaded every Sunday morning, so check in each week to see which ski resort we cover. Today, we will be examining Granite Peak.
Granite Peak is a ski resort located in Wausau, Wisconsin - which is almost smack dab in the middle of the state. It's about 4.5 hours from Chicago and around 3 hours from the Twin Cities and Milwaukee.
Granite Peak's history dates back to the mid to late thirties. After receiving a donation of land from the Wausau Kiwanis Club, the state dedicated a portion of this land to a ski area in 1936. Shortly after, the CCC and local Wausau residents went hard to work, cutting the first runs for this future resort.
The resort officially opened in 1937 as Rib Mountain with six runs and a tow powered by a Ford V-8 motor. Over the years, Rib Mountain would grow and develop, but its most significant change would come when Charles Skinner took on a thirty-year lease with the ski area in 2000.
Charles would change the name to Granite Peak to give it a fresh start. Charles took the state's 1984 master plan for Granite Peak and ran with it - investing millions over the next few years. By 2017 Charles would completely transform Granite Peak, investing over 36 Million dollars and turning Granite Peak into a true destination resort.
Today Granite Peak offers 55 runs, 700 vertical feet, and seven lifts, making it one of the Midwest's biggest ski resorts. Among those seven lifts, you will find three high-speed lifts - which allow skiers and riders to lap in speed and gain a ton of vertical in just a couple of hours.
Granite Peak also has a great variety of terrain, including great groomers, steeps, moguls, terrain parks, and tree skiing, making it an excellent place for families of all skill levels.
Lastly, the city of Wausau creates the perfect backdrop for this fantastic ski resort. Wausau is one of the few authentic Midwest ski towns that offer a variety of lodging, shopping, dining, and entertainment outside of just skiing!
If you want to learn more about Granite Peak, check out their website at www.skigranitepeak.com, and we hope to see you out there this season!