Skiing In Iowa USA: A Guide To 3 Iowa Ski Resorts
One thing that surprised me the most when I moved to Iowa, was that there was actually a ski resort! I’m sure I’m not the only one that would assume that Iowa equalled flat and all corn fields…how wrong was I! Skiing in Iowa is most definitely a thing!
Iowa Ski Resorts
When you think of ski resorts, they are often associated with being expensive, especially when it comes to lift passes! An adult weekday unlimited lift pass at Sundown Mountain Resort is $38 ($46 at weekends), ski and snowboard rentals are $32 for a day, making it an affordable option compared to some of the bigger resorts.
Putting this into perspective, a ONE day lift pass in Aspen Colorado is $164! OK, so Sundown Mountain is not quite in the mountains, it’s actually in a valley and there aren’t a million runs.
The lodge and carpark is at the top of the slopes which means you can get stuck right in and not have to start by riding a chair lift to get to the top!
Ski Resorts in Iowa
Sundown Mountain | Mount Crescent | Seven Oaks
Sundown Mountain Resort Dubuque | East Iowa
🗺16991 Asbury Rd, Dubuque, IA 52002 Tel: 563-556-6676
📅Opening Date: Usually around Thanksgiving week
⛷Sundown Mountain Resort Dubuque has 21 ski runs (green, blue and black diamond) and 2 terrain parks. When it doesn’t snow, the resort is maintained by 150 snow guns (believe me, it’s cold enough for the snow not to melt once it is there!) and the runs are groomed daily!
Learning to Ski at Sundown Dubuque
It’s kinda crazy, back in 2008 I failed miserably at water skiing so became a wake boarder, I automatically assumed that because I could wake board I’d be able to snowboard…definitely got that wrong.
So before considering all snow sports as a complete write off, I wanted to try skiing. I signed up to a one hour private lesson for $48.
There is a teeny tiny, almost flat run, that I started off on to just practise going in a straight line…it was so flat my instructor beat me to the top just by skiing uphill while I took the magic carpet up!
Then it was straight on to the bunny hill where we practised how to turn.
Accident number 1 = I pretty much had the whole slope to myself yet still managed to plough down a small child that was standing under a tree…it’s like my skis had a mind of their own! Thankfully he didn’t get hurt…and then continued to mock me for the rest of my lesson while he whizzed by asking if I wanted his help to go faster…
Accident number 2 = I brought the bunny hill chair lift to a standstill after I managed to get my skis tangled up with my instructors! Those 2 situations were my only accidents!
I found it ridiculously easy to turn left but struggled to turn right. I think part of my problem was that I was over thinking what I had to do too much… “right leg does this, left leg does that”…I just couldn’t seem to put the two techniques together.
But after 30 minutes of practising, something seems to click (no, not my bones or joints…something in my head!) and things just started to come naturally and I’m not even sure exactly what I was doing…I JUST STOPPED THINKING ABOUT IT. My legs didn’t feel like they were splitting apart anymore and I started to get a little confidence in myself!
At the end of my hour, I probably could have attempted to have gone down ‘Sunbowl’ green run in a wedge/snowplough position but why attempt to run before you can walk?!
I stayed on the bunny hill, practising my turns by myself and improving my stance so I wasn’t locked in a wedge the whole way down. It also allowed me to practise getting on and off the chair lift without the fear of bringing the big main chair lift to a stop and having all the ‘professionals’ look down on the idiot newbie skier!
2 and a half hours was probably just about my limit as a new skier. My legs seemed to be doing OK but by the end my arms were dead and I was struggling to pull myself along on the flat with my poles!
I visited a second time and attempted to go down Sunbowl a couple of times, but I was miserable. Skiing is not for me, but at least I gave it a go!
(Sundown Mountain Resort – Dubuque)
Tips for Visiting Sundown Dubuque
I’m quite lucky that with my day job I get Fridays off work. I visited at 2pm and there were no lines at the ticket windows, no wait time for boots and we could go straight up and grab our skis. The slopes were all fairly empty too. When we left at 4pm, the Friday night ‘cheap special’ was just about to kick in and it was absolutely PACKED.
When I return I’ll be tempted to visit at the same time, even if it is slightly more expensive, just to avoid the crowds.
I’d also imagine that the snow quality is better the earlier you visit. As you may know, I’m not a fan of the cold so I picked a ‘warm’ day to visit Sundown Mountain. It did mean that the snow was starting to melt a little and by the time I left it was getting quite glassy and icy, making the slope faster and it harder to slow down.
If you’re a newbie and don’t think you’ll get off the bunny hill, it’s actually cheaper to get just a pass for the ‘beginners area’. I ended up paying 4 times the price for an ‘all area’ lift pass that I didn’t even use as this is what was automatically given to me, despite the fact I had bought a 1 hour first timer ski lesson.
Lift passes are attached to a zip on your coat using a metal loop that the pass sticks to.
The Lodges and Mountain Center at Sundown Mountain Resort
I decided to stuff all my belongings into my pockets and leave anything else in the car (possibly the only good thing about a cold sport…you have plenty of clothes on with space to store things!). The Mountain Center has benches with space underneath them to store shoes. There are also a couple of vending machines in this location.
The North Lodge (walking away from the Mountain Center and the chair lifts) has a fast food restaurant selling things like burgers and sandwiches, a bar, a gift shop and seating space. It also has great views of the top of ‘Turkey Ridge’ blue run, which has a couple of rails, making it great for people watching and a little rest! They also have live music on some evenings.
Sundown Mountain Resort Location
Sundown Mountain is located on the edge of Dubuque, about 20 minutes from the Downtown District. For more information, visit the Sundown Mountain website!
Sundown Mountain Resort
16991 Asbury Rd.
Dubuque, IA 52002
563-556-6676
Sundown Mountain vs Chestnut Mountain
Sundown Mountain in Dubuque is 3 hours from Chicago. Just across the border in Illinois, you’ll also find Chestnut Mountain Resort, which is 35 minutes closer to Chicago! Chestnut Mountain has 19 ski slopes and 2 terrain parks. It has a few less runs compared to Sundown Mountain, but it has more slopes that are beginner friendly. (5 green runs compared to 2).
There’s also an onsite hotel that overlooks some of the slopes. It has an indoor swimming pool too. So if staying close to the ski resort is important to you, Chestnut Mountain could be a good option!
Other Things To Do In Dubuque
As mentioned above, Sundown Mountain is on the edge of Dubuque. However there is a while range of things to do and see in the Downtown area. Here are some ideas for things to do in Dubuque.
Visiting Dubuque around Christmas? Here are some Christmas events on during November and December! Dubuque Christmas Lights And Events.
If you are looking for somewhere to stay in Dubuque, the Hotel Julien is a 20 minute drive from Sundown Mountain, located in the Downtown District.
Mount Crescent Ski Area, Honey Creek | West Iowa
🗺17026 Snowhill Ln,Honey Creek, IA 51542 Tel: 712-545-3850
📅Opening Date: Dec 14th (potentially)
Recommended by LeAnna from Well Traveled Nebraskan
⛷Mount Crescent has 9 ski slopes, 1 terrain park and a sledding hill. Only Mount Crescent sleds are allowed on the slope, these are included in the price of the sledding hill lift pass.
The flat, Midwestern plains aren’t exactly beckoning skier and snowboarders by the hoardes.
However, there is a spot on the Western border of Iowa that isn’t so flat and is just about perfect for us Midwesterners who haven’t grown up in the Rockies or other mountainous areas where skiing is an everyday winter activity!
Just about 20 minutes to Omaha, or two hours West of Des Moines, Mt. Crescent is the perfect day trip for anyone who hasn’t been skiing before and wants to try their hand (er, feet) at the winter sport. It’s also an absolutely ideal location for kids to learn how to ski and snowboard before dishing out the big bucks to go to the huge, expensive ski resorts in the US.
If you don’t have your own gear, no worries, as you can rent some on the “slopes” or bring your own and enjoy a day out in the powder!
Seven Oaks Recreation, Boone | Central Iowa
🗺1086 222nd Drive, Boone, IA 50036 Tel: 515-432-9457
📅Opening Date: TBD
⛷Seven Oaks is located in Boone, just under a 50 minute drive North of Des Moines and very close to Ames. There are 11 ski runs at Seven Oaks including a bunny hill for beginners and a couple of terrain parks.
You’ll also find a tubing hill with it’s own ski lift. Rates start at $15 for a 2hr tube rental and lift ticket. If you already have to ski day pass, you can upgrade to include tubing for $5!
Season Passes to Ski Resorts in Iowa
As the ski resorts in Iowa aren’t exactly the biggest, by buying a season pass you can actually get dicounts at other ‘Resort Partners’ around the Midwest and across the USA!
Sundown Mountain Resort in Dubuque and Mount Crescent in Honey Creek, along with the 3rd Iowa ski resort – Seven Oaks in Boone, are all part of the program.
For example, if you buy at adult season pass at Sundown Dubuque, you will receive:
- $10 off a lift ticket at Seven Oaks, Boone IA
- 1 free lift ticket for 1 visit ONLY during the season for Mount Crescent, Honey Creek IA
- $20 Monday – Thursday lift tickets from January to the end of the season at Chestnut Mountain, Galena IL
The Resort Partners cover: 3 Iowa ski resorts, 2 in Illinois, 2 in Wisconsin, 1 in Idaho, 2 in Colorado, 2 in New Mexico, 2 in Arizona and 1 in Utah!
Did you know that you could go skiing in Iowa!?
About the Author – Kylie
My travels have taken me to over 40 countries worldwide (& I lived in USA for 4yrs). I hold a BTEC National Diploma in Travel & Tourism (triple distinction) and have been writing on Between England & Everywhere since 2015.
Expert in: Adventure travel🎢, beach destinations🏖️, and packing light (mid-budget backpacker)🎒
Inspired to go skiing in Iowa? Pin It For Later!
Last Updated on March 29, 2024
Glad to hear you had a great time! Maybe next winter I’ll come over and we can ski together!
Yay! I might be stuck on the green slope still but I’d be up for that haha 😀
Haha! You’d be surprised what happens each time you go again!
That’s what I’m hoping for! That it’ll just come naturally next time!
I grew up in Iowa and had no idea there was a ski resort in Dubuque! You learn something new all the time. Thanks for sharing – great pictures.
Thanks! I think there’s a 2nd a little further west! There’s another ski resort just the other side of Dubuque in Galena, Illinois!
Oh and Galena is such a fabulous town. If you haven’t been yet, I highly recommend it. Stop to eat at Fried Green Tomatoes! 🙂
I’ve been a couple of times! Never for very long though, it’s always been a flying visit!
I have never snow skied, but you do make it look like fun. Maybe someday…
Thanks Connie! Haha my other half wants to go back again on Sunday now, he’s been caught by the snowboard bug again!
I love winter… but would you believe I haven’t tried skiing? This sounds like a very manageable place to break into a new sport. I’m inspired!
Haha! Have you been tubing?