Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Lutsen Mountains that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Lutsen Mountains stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Lutsen Mountains review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Lutsen Mountains
Total (3.0)
A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
My rankings are in the context of Midwest ski alternatives. Of course Lutsen isn't like the Rockies or even the East, but for the Midwest it is distinctly the biggest and best. A few others may have almost the same vertical as Lutsen, but none have the variety of terrain nor the base village experience.
Two of the hills (Moose and Eagle) have good long blue runs, and even a few steeps. The lift system (gondola and two high-speed chairs) is way better than other Midwest locales. There is good on-hill accommodation (with true ski-in/out), and a couple of OK restaurants - plus a lively bar with entertainment. Again, compared to other Midwest destinations, Lutsen is the only one that feels somewhat like an actual "resort".
The downside is that you are in the upper reaches of the country, so the weather can get pretty frosty at times. Unfortunately, Lutsen has more recently shown an inclination to closing down the biggest mountain (Moose) in these conditions - even on days where it would be more sheltered from the wind. They often make day-of decisions (sometimes even mid-day decisions), so it is hard to predict in advance what you'll be in for. If the forecast is marginal (cold or windy), and you have a flexible schedule, you may want to wait to a different day.
Overall, if you live in the Midwest and want good skiing within a day or less drive, Lutsen is definitely the best choice.
Jim N
Trail status online is a joke and rarely matches reality. The change of ownership recently would appear to have queued up a decline in service and trail availability. My suggestion: don't purchase a ticket in advance, the mountain may only be running 5 to 6 trails, even if the online status shows most of the mountain open.
anonymous
Lutsen offers some great groomers and awesome trees. More advanced skiers can find some smaller cliffs to drop too. Wouldnt recommend for a first year family. Once everyone is confident on blue trails it is a great family resort. Held up well during the bad snow year in 2023/24.
Niklas dahl
mostly blue black but a dedicated greens on uller high speed lifts probably best in Minnesota
Joey Birdsall
Wish they had opened their harder terrain and even entire mountain areas but for the conditions it was a great experience. The lake views are stunning and worth the trek to get there. The mornings are best time to ski there as it has stunning views with less people making a truly spectacular ski experience.
Kipp Elsbernd
Some of the flat areas at the bottom of the lifts are annoying to get across when trying to get to the lift lines. The gondola is fine, but it doesn't really take you up the mountain necessarily it takes you from one mountain to the other. The ski runs were good, but even the longest ones were less than 5 minutes to get down. I enjoyed some of the black runs, especially with fresh powder. Although I would call them difficult intermediates, not expert runs.
jhawkinsmn
Lutsen has good skiing if all the factors line up at the same time. Moose Mountain has some of the longest runs in the Midwest and they are challenging enough to keep advanced skiers happy. Unfortunately the lift layout of the area is less than ideal, and really limits the potential of this area. Snow conditions and weather can be hit or miss.
Victoria Helvey
We purchased the insurance through the Lutsen Ski package website and the numbers listed go to a scammer. They ask for personal information and credit card numbers and it is not an insurance company number! Beware Lutsen Mountain is involved in a scam! Do not fall for this! You will get all your information stolen! Lutsen will do nothing to help! They are allowing the scam to continue!
anonymous
okay skiing for the locale, upper midwest. Signage is terrible and there is no nav app for moving from one place to next. Many poorly planned link trails, get ready to pole across the terrain! Some fun runs but seriously limited experience during covid -
michael connaughton
Runs mostly well groomed, with some bare and icy spots. Lifts except for recent upgrades are a HUGE problem. I have had no problem loading/unloading anywhere for many years. Here I fell several times in poorly maintained unloading areas. Once I fell heavily right across the unloading area and the operator made no effort to stop the lift. Four other skiers had to struggle to avoid running over me!
Bottom line: until staffing, grooming and equipment are improved, this is my last visit to Lutsen.
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