alpine valley resort

I took my two oldest children(13yr and 11yr) skiing for their first time.The ski lessons purchased were of great. By the end of the lesson, they were both skiing well enough that they were both going on the black diamond ski slopes. This is a good place to ski and the grilled burgers on the patio grill were fantastic.This was a fun place to ski but they could use more ski slopes.We will return next ski season.

It's just 35 min from Racine or about an hour from Milwaukee so very convenient for a day trip if you love skiing. Compared to Cascade or Devils head, it is smaller and the runs are shorter, but a couple of runs are steeper and one of them has a drop that you can actually jump if you are in high speed, leaving a little bit of more fun to the ride.Cascade runs are a little longer but more flat or beginner oriented and the lifts are slower (I think) . Devils head runs also have some flat areas but some runs are longer and steeper. Restaurant is OK... plain burgers and fries and with a barbecue burger on the weekends. Alpine is also very family oriented and not very crowded. Overall it is really fun for a weekend day skiing considering it's the midwest.

We were looking for a romantic getaway on a weekend and thought this might be a place to try. Boy were we wrong! Our stay started by a long line at check-in, which is when we noticed that the hotel was packed, mostly with kids (High School and College.) We got to our room and were shocked by what we saw, stains all over the carpet, a lamp that didn't work, a moldy-rusty shower. By 10:00pm we were settling in and there was a ridiculous amount of noise outside, kids running, yelling, slamming doors. The walls on these hotel are paper thin! By 12:00am we called the front desk to report the constant noise. They said they would send "guest services" to try to quiet it down. By 12:30am the noise continued and suddenly our toilet flooded, all over the bathroom water was running! Called the front desk, they sent someone to fix it, he did but the pee water was still all over the bathroom, which we had to cover with towels until it could be cleaned the next day. The noise continued until 3:00am. The noise started again at 7:00am. At 3:00am we also discovered 2 ants in our bed....like IN the bedsheets! The next day we complained to the front desk manager, Jen, and she was nice and gave us a discount for the terrible night we had had. We really wanted to check out but had already paid in advance for a ski class, so we asked to move rooms. She said another room would not be available until the afternoon, and that she could not guarantee it would be too quiet as they had (another) large group of College kids coming in that Saturday. Apparently this is quite common. Went to the ski class and it was terrible, we had been skiing before so we had some experience but felt bad for the people doing it for the first time cause they were left just as dumbfounded about how to ski. The slopes were also packed and there were long lines for the lifts and coming down it was crowded too. We decided to leave and try the pool, but this was just as crowded. We gave up and went to our new room, which was better than the first, though again the hotel is very very run down. Had breakfast the next day at their buffet and thought it was too expensive for the meal they offered ($25 for 2 for only 3 hot items - eggs, bacon and potatoes.) Would definitely not recommend.

Depending on where in the Chicago area one lives, Alpine Valley is probably a 1 hour to 1.5 hour drive - a little bit farther than Wilmot. In my opinion, worth the extra 30 min drive as they have a much better lift system than Wilmot. Alpine Valley has 3 high-speed, detachable chair lifts whereas to my knowledge Wilmot doesn't have any and the high-speed, detachable chairs are so, so much easier for a beginner to get on and off of! They also make quite a bit of snow and do a good job with grooming such that we almost always find the snow conditions at Apline Valley. Vertical drop is less than 300 feet but to get a larger vertical drop one has to drive much farther and the vertical drop will still be nothing compared with world-class resorts. So, Alpine Valley is a great place to teach your kids how to ski (they have a ski instructor for little ones who dresses as a clown) and then to go too when one doesn't have either the time or money for more than a day trip from the Chicago area.

I've been coming to Alpine for years. It's the best choice for a day-trip from Chicago.There are several runs and lifts. If you're from the west you won't be impressed with midwest skiing, but like I said it's the best in the area.Make sure to arrive early. The resort makes their own snow so if it's a sunny day it can get icy and slushy by end of day. They groom the snow around 5:20 pm for evening skiing.

One of the best place to take a group a friends to ski in the Midwest, caters to all ages and abilities and friendly to adaptive skiiers. I've visited on and off for three years, and I'm going back again. http://www.alpinevalleyresort.com/directions.php

revamped room, bar, good food selection, live music on wkends, cool big bar and lots of beers and view of ski hill, fun place

Visited here and Wilmot Mountain Dec 29-30. Alpine valley by far was better!We got there at the time it opened (9am) and didn't have any issues with crowds. It got more crowded around 11-12 but we were already getting in lots of runs so it wasn't bad. This is a nice place for beginners and those who have been skiing a few times to have some wider runs but still very beginner friendly. Would be nice if there was an easier way to connect runs with catwalks or something but overall it was good and we enjoyed it

We went to Alpine Valley to ski on Dec. 28, expecting massive crowds. It was the emptiest we've ever seen a Midwest ski resort. We were getting in 10 -12 runs an hour. People must not be coming due to the lack of snow in the area, but the snow here was great!

Great acoustics, HUGE place. Around 40,000 I think! I don't think there's a bad seat in the place (unless you get lawn tickets!). But the hike out from your seats to the lot after the concert is like trying to climb a ski slope. That's when the lawn seating pays off, as they're already half-way to the lot! Fantastic tailgating here as well.

Very nice, enough room, challenging hills, way better than Wilmont. The food though is not that good but you don't go there for the food. The ski lifts are up to date, very fast, and really safe. Quality equipment, won't break and will fit your foot just nice. The staff is ok, somewhat run by half wit teenagers but it ok.

Had a great time here .. the skiing is fun. Not as good as some of the larger slopes/resorts around but still a lot of fun.Very cute, cozy cabins and lodges as well. DEfinitely worth a visit.

I went skiing here for the first time. The employees during the ski lift purchase and rental process were friendly. The ski lift operator for the bunny hill was extremely nice, the only reason I would give this place any positive review was because of him, if I could rate him separately I would give him 5 stars! The ski lift operators on the beginners slope were so unfriendly it was ridiculous. It was my first time skiing, so I thought when getting on the lift they would offer a bit of direction, heck at least say hello. They just stood there and stared. The second time I took the lift one of the employees was standing there on his cell phone not even looking at the patrons and the second employee was smoking. I have never been anywhere that it is acceptable for an employee to smoke around customers, outside or not. Since I have asthma and do not appreciate cigarette smoke, this could not have made me more angry. I know many of the other customers were on the slopes smoking which is bad enough but to have one of your own employees doing it is just appalling. I will never go back to this place and waste my money.

FOr the avid individual of beginner to middle skiing this is not a bad option for the location. The advanced individual will not be challenged but skiing is skiing right? The lodge needs some work and the place is jsut not what it was at one point. The service is good as is the food but many other lodges close that are far better.

good food, great atmosphere,friendly staff! good place for beginner snow boarder or skier. Although I have never stayed overnight the lodge is convenient and looks cute..old Bavarian/Swiss style.