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 Little Switzerland.
Little Switzerland is a ski resort located in Slinger, Wisconsin, about thirty minutes outside Milwaukee or about two hours from Chicago.
Little Switzerland has a deep history that dates back to the 1930s. The hill was used for motorcycle hill climb events at that time, but Ed Herte saw a different vision for the land. He would lease the hill from the Winter family and began building his new ski area. The Ski hill received its name from the local priest, who stated that "this place is just like a little Switzerland," and the name stuck. The ski area officially opened on December 7, 1941 - the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The ski area would continue to develop over the next several decades but would hit hard times in the early 2000s forcing the hill to close in 2007. The ski hill would sit vacant for several years, but this would soon change in late 2011. The Schmitz brothers purchased the property and got to work reinvesting and reinventing this historic hill. The ski area would reopen for the 2012/2013 and has operated since.
Today Little Switzerland offers 18 runs serviced by nine lifts, including two of the most unique chairlifts in the Midwest. Both of their double chairs are up and over lifts. This means the lifts continue to the backside of the hill to act as another chairlift which plays perfectly into this resort's design.
Having ski runs on both the front and backside of the hill means you are never far from the lodge and gives skiers and riders a variety of terrain across a small footprint. Little Switzerland also features three terrain parks with dedicated rope tows, and its proximity to Milwaukee and surrounding suburbs make it a great place to grab some quick laps after work or school.
Lastly, Little Switzerland has a fantastic bar and lodge with a beautiful sprawling window facing the slopes. This allows you to sit back and enjoy some food and drinks- all while taking in the sights and sounds of the ski hill.
If you want to learn more about little Switerzland, we will drop some links below. But until next time, I hope all of you have a great week, pray for snow, & we'll see you out there!
If you want to learn more about Little Switzerland, check out their website at www.littleswitz.com, and we hope to see you out there this season!