Lutsen Mountains

We had a great time here for a few hours. Seems pretty pricey but also a pretty unique experience. We can go to an entire theme park at home for the price of the alpine slides here. But like I said pretty fun nonetheless. Be nice if they sold more snacks and such. We all just ate like a candy bar from the store.

Can’t beat Lutsen for an easy ski vacation that actually feels like a mountain getaway. They have a lot of terrain, and the best views of Lake Superior. The kids really love the Gondola ride, and I enjoy fast laps on the high speed 6 packs to get my ski vertical fix! We have had season passes for 4 years now and regularly come up from the Minneapolis area in the winter. I’d much rather drive with all the family’s ski equipment on a regular basis to Lutsen because of how easy it is and the price when you have a season passes. Not saying ski trips out West aren’t great, they’re just not nearly as convenient and happen much less often.

We did the gondola ride up to mount lutsen! The ride was great! Such pretty views and especially awesome at the top! It cost $35 per person to ride, which i thought was very expensive!

This is worth checking out!! The alpine slide was soooo fun! All ages can do it :) the gondola had amazing views!! If you buy tickets in advance online you can sign waivers ahead of time!

This was our first time here and I was excited. Our room was nice and clean and the staff were great! In my opinion, the gondola ride was expensive and I thought we should have had a discount for the gondola and alpine slide since we were staying two nights. The restaurant at the top of the mountain was good but also on the expensive side. A lot of hiking options in the area. The pool and hot tub were great! The internet was cut off both nights at 10 pm. I thought it was odd. Not a lot of restaurants or food options in the area. We headed to Grand Marais for dinner.

This stop was in our Minnesota’s Bucket List Cards. We scratched off the Lutsen card and there it was, a Gondola ride. It was really fun. Enjoy…

This is a review of the summit express gondola ride during peak fall. Saturday we drove a total about 15 hours from Minneapolis to Lutsen just to ride the gondola and see the fall colors. We bought our tickets online a week in advance and yet we still had to wait in one line like everyone else. There is no separate line for those who buy their tickets online and the line can get pretty long. After waiting in line about a little over an hour the fun really began. Once on the gondola the views are amazing, it’s a smooth and scenic ride then you get off at the top of the mountain. You get to see beautiful views of Lake Superior and see the beautiful fall colors of the trees from the trails. The food wasn’t anything special, just a bunch of fried foods and quick bites which we decided to go without. I feel like overall I did have a good experience because I wanted to ride the gondola and I got some great pics. However, be patient, the lines can get pretty long, you may have to ride the gondola with a stranger unless you have a party of 4-5. If you have kids come prepared, the wait times can vary from 1.5 to 2 hours in the lines going up and down the mountain. Dogs are welcomed, there is overflow parking and they do not accept cash.

Recommend to anyone willing to make the drive in the Midwest, other mountains are nice but Lutsen has more variety than any other, terrain park is quite small compared to the size but better than nothing. The only thing I’d have to say negative is the gondola does get closed quite often due to weather conditions and does not open when conditions get better on that day (I figure they send the employees home or tell them to not come in). So in all the gondola isn’t the worst thing but definitely limits you to more of a regular Midwest mountain experience when it is closed.

I've never skiied here, but I've gone up the gondola in the fall twice now, and it's been some of my favorite memories of fall! HOT TIP: Fall happens even earlier on the North Shore! Don't wait until late October - you won't see much. Mid-September is often peak :) We purchased tickets online and queued mid-morning on a weekday to go enjoy the fall colors. It was great timing, as I hear it gets busy on weekends and later in the day. The ride up is soooo pretty! At least the past two years, they've given parties their own gondola so you don't have to ride with others. At the top, you simply MUST go to the lookout on the west side. That's the most stunning view and absolutely worth it! The east side view from the chalet/restaurant is pretty too, because you can see the water, but not nearly as colorful. Absolute MUST DO in the fall!

THIS IS A REVIEW FOR THE ALPINE SLIDE IN SUMMERTIME We came to Lutsen to check it out during the summer and we only did the Alpine Slide - had no food or drinks. I came with my 9 year old daughter and we both did the slide. It lasted a good bit and was worth every penny! Included a gondola ride. Highly recommend doing this! So fun!

This is a fantastic place to bring a family. We stayed at a nearby ski in-ski out townhouse. When we arrived just before they opened, we found Plenty of free parking close to the ticket booth. I had pre-ordered tickets and so we got our passes pretty quickly. The guys in the rental shop were knowledgeable And helpful. Lots of ski options. There's a tiny bunny hill with magic carpet for beginners. I stayed on greens but my boys and husband had fun on the blues and blacks. There's a new lift that's big and fast. I love the gondola and lodge and the top of the hill. The food is decent but a little pricey - $13 for a burger, $6 for a hot dog, fries are an additional $5. They also have soup, chili, and wine. I brought a small cooler with food. We brought that up the gondola and enjoyed lunch with a phenomenal view of Lake Superior and the hills. I was sad to see the main restaurant had burned to the ground. We loved that place last year and look forward to the new place they plan to build this summer. If you are in Minnesota or just want a beautiful place to ski with your family, this is a fantastic place! I took a video of a green trail here: https://youtu.be/tCVkrDUr9Dc?si=zPN5t1qJPy2kBBOd

We had such a blast going down the Alpine Slide! It is seriously great fun for all ages, you can push the lever forward to go SUPER fast but also pull back if you need to slow down or break at all. Hubby and I raced down (I won ;) but really it's as fast as you want to make it. Common sense, but make sure all your belongings are securely tucked away and zippered up! Side note - even though we purchased our tickets and completed our waiver online, we still had to stand in line to get your barcodes to scan in order to get on the chair lift.

Pretty! Disclaimer: my review is solely based on the winter gondola ride, lunch space and gift shop. As I don't ski (yet), I had the honor of visiting our group who was skiing for lunch and a little gondola excursion. I felt like the space was clean and slopes looked well maintained. For a weekend, it was great to see so many humans out taking advantage of fresh air, friendships and movement. The gondola ride was extremely overpriced considering I wasn't skiing but it was all part of the adventure. The food was mediocre and also over priced - yet again this was expected. The gift shop was extremely fun especially seeing all the Lutsen memorabilia such as the sweatshirts and Christmas ornaments. Yes we ended up buying the overpriced gondola ornament as we couldn't resist. If you ski or snowboard, everyone in my party said this is a nice spot considering the hills in any other area of MN are not as large so you are getting more downhill ski exposure here. Enjoy!

Super expensive to take the gondola and alpine slide, plus the line to get tickets is endless

I enjoyed our trip to Lutsen overall but feel violated by the experience as a whole. We paid top dollar for our lodging, lift tickets and entertainment but it often just fell flat at times. Papa Charlies is a complete rip off. Subpar food and overpriced drinks. I get it the place is seasonal, but $16 for a shot of Fernet is insane. We should have at least been warned before being served. The resort itself is just ran so shady and I often spent days waiting for the larger Moose Mountain to open to only be told not today. Considering this is a seven plus hour drive from Milwaukee, there are just better options for boarding near us where we get treated right across the board. Flying somewhere legit is also not out of the question after making this jaunt. Other than my dealings with the cost for what you get, bad actors at the resort lodge, and just an overall feeling of being violated for prices, it was an good trip. We made it to and from safe despite up and down weather, and for that I'm thankful. Our real saving grace was our condo we rented, which is not ran or affiliated with Lutsen proper and is privately owned. Will likely be finding elsewhere to spend our hard-earned money for our next skication.

Would never ski there again for two reasons. First, the booth ticket agent became aggressive and angrily escalated a situation that did not need escalation. I wasn't skiing the first day and I was told I needed to plod to the ticket booth to sign my waiver before my friend could ski. When I asked the agent firmly (but certainly not angrily) why this was the case, it made no sense to me, she told me in a loud, angry voice to calm down. Instead, she could have simply explained why they require a non-skier to sign their waiver before the skier could get their lift ticket and ski. She chose to be insulting and rude instead. The second reason I will not ski there again is that when I did ski, the day was warm and they shut the whole place down to one lift and one run. I can understand shutting down some or even most runs, but only leaving one open is totally unacceprable.

We took a crew of skiers here this weekend. A client of the mountain stole a minor's skis in our group and instead of helping multiple employees gaslit our teen blaming her for the incident. No offer to help. No offer to make an announcement to have their client return the stolen skis. The only thing the employees could focus on was shaming the teenager. The staff should be ashamed but they already had out money so no one was willing to help. 0/10 would recommend. Be careful not to trust anyone affiliated or on staff here as they are only worried about themselves and the 100s of dollars of wasted hill time their clients could have had if only one employee could show a sliver of empathy.

Amazing fall color views from these mountains. Everyone should visit this place. They have Gandola and alpine ride in these mountains. Only thing is make sure you have your tickets booked way before you come. You need to be ready for big traffic lines on weekends and holidays.

Terrible customer service, waited in line for 45 minutes to buy tickets, waited for Gondola for over an hour, was having mechanical issues. Wanted me to wait in line another hour for a raincheck...never going back.

Had a blast shreddin gnar with friends on the last weekend of the season! Gorgeous sunny day in the 40s couldn't have been better. But why shut down the lift lines at 3:30?! Way too early for this beautifully perfect spring day! Mountain Meltdown at Papa Charlie's made for some fun après ski!

Customer experience. Make sure to check on line ticketing for daily passes and most browsers default to 2 day without explaining there are other options. It's poorly misleading at best. When I brought up how confusing the website was and that I really only intended to stay one day but didn't know this was an option given the checkout information lacking, I was met with hostility, arguing how I shouldn't have accepted the ticket that morning if I didn't intent to ski both days, and some other nonsensical argumentents with her ultimately closing the blinds in my face when confronted with how poorly the ticket confirmation language actually was. Every other person I interacted with was competent and helpful, but it just takes one bad experience I guess. Make sure you're not accidentally signing away your first born child when checking out online or all you will get is, "sorry that's not our policy to refund" and a ticketing window slammed in your face my rude employees.

Extremely inefficient process for gondolas. Even if you purchase tickets and sign waivers online you have to wait in line to pick up physical tickets. They had one cashier so line was extremely long. They were not informing people in the line to pre-fill out the waivers to make things go faster. Overall horribly inefficient. Dozens of empty gondolas passing by while folks wait in line... Please hire more people!

This review was moved from the incorrect business and refers to a visit in October, 2018. Was in the area with the extended family. We decided on an outing to Lutsen to take the gondola and check out the fall colors. Sorta windy so we called in advance to be sure it was running. The person we spoke to told us (in sorta in a snarky way) that "wind does not affect gondola operations". Drove 20+ minutes out there from where we were renting and was told (again, in a snarky way) that the gondola was closed due to wind. Not wowed by the service.

Customer service here is poor regarding communication. We purchased the package deal to ride the Gondala and Alpine slides online. That morning when we arrived, the Alipine slides were wet and closed for the day (as the cashier said), so we were given a raincheck. We enjoyed the ride on the Gondala and a beautiful hike at the top. Then stopped for lunch before heading back down the mountain. As we returned, we noticed that the Alpine slide was back open and we wanted to use our rain check. We returned to the cashier to use our raincheck and found out that the rain check is not refundable for two tickets down the Alpine slide and that we had to pay more. Reason being that its only refunded for the remainder of the money left over after paying full price for two Gondala rides. Even though we purchased them as a package "deal" on purpose. Then we were told we could use raincheck for food as well (would have been nice to know before we ate lunch). Overall, I do not recommend purchasing the package deal unless you know for sure that both are open because you will be paying more out of pocket. Also, I understand that the raincheck is a policy however, the cashier should have never told us that the Alpine slide was going to be closed all day if she was not sure. This will only upset people. Unfortunatly we will never get to use our raincheck. We will not be back because of the lack of customer service.

First time here. Amazing. People friendly. Place is very organized. Taking the pandemic seriously. Very structured. Enforcing masks! Awesome. Way to go guys. We will for sure be back many many times. Thank you for taking the global pandemic serious.

This review is based on the customer service. We came up here for the spring meltdown and took advantage of the ski package and stay at the resort. We arrived on a Saturday and we were aware we couldn't check in until 4 so we went skiing first. The employees at the admissions for lift tickets were very poor. They were visibly underwhelmed to be there and we ended up standing in line twice because they failed to ask the necessary questions that would have helped us get all the passes and rentals we needed. Our room was not ready by check in time and we woke up to a maintenance person in our who hadn't knocked prior to coming in. We will be back for skiing but will think twice about staying at the resort.

Summer or fall destination too! There is an alpine slide that is super long and fun! You can purchase individual ride tickets, a booklet, or get a wristband and ride for hours. The ride up the lift to the top of the hill is fun all by itself. Great views of Lake Superior! The mountain tram departs not far from where the slide ends and the gift shop is. You can buy a combo slide/tram ticket if you'd like to do both, which I recommend! The tram takes you across a rocky stream bed and through the trees until going straight up the mountain side. Eeeek! Exciting and fun! Once you get to the other side you can grab a snack or beverage at the new chalet or hike around the trails. Beautiful!

We've taken the kids to the Alpine Slide at Lutsen about 10 times over the years. We've always had a great time until this year - likely due to staffing changes. The slide itself is in need of repair with lots of misalignment between sections, cracked/broken sections, etc. I'm sure it does, but am surprised it passes a safety inspection. What really ruined it for us was management's response to weather issues. We paid $45 each for a full day Adventure pass. After about 2 hours of use, it began to rain and they closed the hills. It did clear up in the afternoon, but rather than dry the track for customers, the staff went home early! When we requested some consideration for the decision to close early, we were told that since we went down the slide more than three times and used the gondola once, we received more than the value that we paid! Lutsen COULD have kept the slide open late for those who didn't get to use it all day , rather than closing early. Alternatively, they COULD have allowed us to use it the next day for a couple hours before heading back to the cities. The latter would have cost them absolutely nothing, but their business practices dictate that customer satisfaction was secondary to following their own policies. We may return in a few years if improvements are made. In the meantime, there are better ways to spend our entertainment dollars.

The worst run ski hill I've ever been on (by far). Was hopeful for a enjoyable day of skiing at Lutsen, but will never be back after a crap experience this past Monday. Showed up at opening time, and the line wasn't long. That was to be the best part of the day. In hindsight, I think the lines were moving fast, because it would be easier to sell more lift tickets before people found out just what a rip off it would be. As you drive in to Lutsen, they do a good job of making it appear as though it's a functioning place. Firstly, the gondola. For some reason it wasn't able to transport people..but it's able to operate the entire day running imaginary skiers to a hill that's not opened..my assumption being that is to present the appearance of it being open (to folks driving up to buy a ticket). The other lifts seemed to be functioning, but on closer inspection, about half of them seem to be working, and the few that are, have long lines (talking 20 minute waits at one point). This problem was kind of sorted out about three hours after opening when they finally opened up another lift to another mountain. Once you finally get on the chairlift (the slowest one you've ever been one) you can expect to be stopped at least twice on the way up, likely for a minute each time. I'm not sure why this was so common at Lutsen, but the next day I went to Afton Alps (had to get the taste of Lutsen out of my skis,) and this maybe happened twice the entire day. How they have the audacity to charge $86 (plus tax) for such a poorly run, partially open resort is appalling. Compared to Afton the next day, (which seems to care about providing a good value) the entire experience at Lutsen reeked of lazy.

Lutsen Mountain ski package website is taking part in a scam! The insurance offered is a scam! The numbers listed on the Lutsen site go to a scammer that tries to steal your information! After discovering this I contacted Lutsen and they deny it and allow it to continue! They are involved in fraudulent activity and continue to allow their customers to be scammed!

The worst customer service ever. We didn't know the mountains closed at 4 so when we called saying we were out 250$ in the middle of a pandemic the woman was mean and rude. I saved for months for this trip and to be talked down to like i was I was shocked. She was annoyed every time I stuttered and I cried for an hour after the call because of how disrespected I felt. I've never had this kind of experience and I've been skiing for 17 years.

19 dollars for a mediocre cheeseburger and fries absurd do not recommend. Would rather go to McDonald's.

Worth the visit if you like skiing downhill on snow. If you don't then this place might not be to your liking in the winter. Great views of Lake Superior, a variety of runs - 90 in all, typical over priced lodge food, and mostly friendly staff.

I am a season ticket holder and am very impressed by all the signs, volunteers and staff reminding skiers about the mask requirement at all lifts and indoors. The Mountain has gone out of its way this year to have extra staff on the Hill to help direct visitors and assist them upon arrival. Protocols are also posted on their website. The ski hill and the entire North Shore are having record visitors this year because of COVID. Thanks to everyone for understanding

Let me start by saying I am nowhere near a great skier. However, through a local radio station, my lady and I won a 3 day trip to Lutsen. So we thought we would try to improve or skills. I had spent some time skiing in my high school days. My lady - never. This may not be the best choice of ski hills to learn on. However, if you can ski here, you can ski anything in the midwest. They have a bunny hill for the starters as well as a few easy runs. We did not make it off the smallest mountain, but were perfectly satisfied with our experience. There were 7 or 8 runs for us on this hill. Plenty of variety for a starter. (BTW, the view from the top of the mountain is amazing! I spent almost a whole day thinking the snow went forever. However, when the sun started to shine, I saw the silvery sparkle off the lake. There is a fine line where the snow ends and the lake begins. You will have to see it to actually know what I am talking about.) They do have 3 other, larger mountains for the more advanced skiers. There are also a number of ski-in, ski-out resorts and restaurants. We did not stay at any of these resorts, but definitely will next time! Since we are not regular skiers, we do not have our own equipment. Our rentals were relatively inexpensive. Also, different from my one other 2-day ski experience at a smaller resort, they let us keep our equipment over night! This way you could just drive back the next morning and jump on the hill without waiting in line. They have a couple of restaurants and bars right on the resort. None will blow your mind, but they will satisfy your hunger or loosen your nerves! Even though we are novice skiers, we will be back. Definitely give this place a shot if you like to ski! If for nothing else, watch the 4-year-old shredding the biggest mountain, smoking your skills while you sit with your tail between your legs!

Had so much fun at lusten mountain for my brothers birthday weekend! We stayed in the highland townhouses. We had 6 people with us and plenty of rooms and beds. The weather was perfect for snowboarding. Had many rental options for the people without gear! Highly recommend if your in the area! You can also get cheaper lift tickets online if you buy two days. We saved $40 a day per person!

This review is for the summer experience. Park at the base, take the gondola to the top (dogs welcome and free), hike down the 4 mile trail through the resort to the base. Eat wild raspberries along the way and enjoy a beautiful birch forest once you get past the .5 miles of billy goat traverse. The downer is that the lift is expensive for people ($13), we got stuck halfway up due to some unknown delay, and the entire place is under construction in summer. But it is a unique hike and alpine experience. The views are so-so due to the thick forest compared to other hikes, but a worthwhile day.

The gondola was expensive, but worth doing at least once. We rode the gondola up to Summit Chalet for lunch. The food was good, the beer was good, and the views were stunning. Afterwards we rode the alpine slides, and they were much more fun than I imagined! In fact, the gondola was so expensive that if I'm in the area again, I'd rather spend the money on multiple alpine slide rides!

Fall is a marvelous time to visit the North Shore. We recently were up, and decided to ride the Lutsen Gondola to the top of Moose Mountain. The price was kinda steep, but the views seemed like they were worth it. And they were. The trip was amazing, and I highly recommend it. With one caveat. Be sure to ask the ticket taker if your tickets include seats at a wedding. My wife didn't do that, and as a result, we got to the top only to find that a wedding party had rented out the entire chalet, and the glass of whiskey I was dreaming about all day was hidden behind the velvet ropes. If I were getting married, the last thing I would want is a wedding venue surrounded by a mess of random strangers, many of whom are pissed that my wedding had prevented them from getting any mountaintop libations. And If I were a random stranger, which I was, the last thing I would want is a wedding party booking the bar where the weekend's most anticipated drink was being stored...

Had an amazing spring ski trip. Drove up from The Chicago area to get one last trip in before Spring took hold. The runs were a mix up of terrain which made for a fun day. The staff in the pro shop was helpful on where to start and friendly to talk to before the lifts opened up. If I had two complaints they were the short open hours, and old ski lifts. It would be nice if they would invest in some lights for one mountain face, and upgrade a few more lifts for faster transport up the hill. Overall it was a great trip and I hope to return this coming winter. Thanks for the last minute spring trip!!!

We were there in early July and only took the gondola ride up the mountain. So I can't rate the restaurant at the top, the resort, or the alpine slide. While the view from the top was very pretty, we felt we had just a good of view of Lake Superior from Palisade Head. It just wasn't worth the $20 per person to ride the gondola up to the top. The view from the gondola was nothing spectacular at all.

Was not impressed workers did not know what they were doing. Ticket booth was a joke make sure you sign the waiver before you go otherwise it's a mess and no where does it say this not a good experience. Alpine slide was fun but sketchy slide needs some repair would not go again

It's as close to Vail as MN skiing gets. It's a hike from the cities but pretty much worth it once you get there. PROS: - Gorgeous, and I mean GORGEOUS views of Lake Superior - They have a few different "mountains" to choose from - Rental homes near the ski resort, most of which are really beautiful & fun for large groups! - Papa Charlies: great after skiiing Happy Hour spot, live music, good beer selection - Good quality rental equipment CONS: - Food: two thumbs down - Crowds (this may not always be an issue... but when I went the hill, chairlifts & chalets were a little too crowded for my taste) - No night skiing

The skiing (when not a sheet of ice) is absolutely amazing!!! Excellent views of Lake Superior and very much has an out west mountain feel to it. You won't disappointed with the ski terrain. The pricing has recently become completely out of line!! +$80 for a lift ticket??? The price for lodging at Lutsen is completely asinine!! The lifties...typical up north crappy attitudes. This was once my favorite place to ski in upper Midwest. It no longer is due to the above. If not for the amazing skiing I would never recommend Lutsen. Pricing needs to be corrected ASAP!

There were a multitude of factors that led this past ski/snowboarding season to be lackluster; the primary reason being the above normal temperatures as well as the absence of abundant natural snow cover. That being said, Lutsen is hands down the best ski/snowboard area in Minnesota and offers a variety of runs/hills for every skill level. A couple friends and I booked a long weekend snowboarding trip with Lutsen a while back assuming there'd be a decent amount of runs open still in March. Unfortunately the weather ensured that only a little over half of the runs would be open for us this time around. The runs that were open were still fun but definitely did not seem like they were adequately groomed overnight as there were many areas where the snow cover was next to nothing. The lack of snow and grooming can be overlooked however there were a few other items which made the trip less than stellar. The first would have to be the fact that the runs are only open until 4PM despite there being ample sunlight well past that time. I understand that night skiing/snowboarding isn't possible here but if you're paying nearly $70 for a lift ticket you should be able to get the most out of it. Another aspect of the resort which was a little disgusting would have to be the bathrooms in the chalets (I'm not going to go into great detail about them but management needs to figure out a better cleaning schedule/methods). The guys' bathroom at the chalet on Moose Mountain does not have a sink with water or soap to wash your hands; only foam hand sanitizer. Bad weather and dirty bathrooms aside I still had an overall fun experience here and will probably come back next season. Hopefully next time they'll have better snowboarding conditions and cleaner bathrooms...

This place destroyed me being somewhat okay with snowboarding the hills in the metro area. Even though it's much more expensive, it's totally worth it. Moose Mountain is the place to go and the lift to get there is an experience in itself. The chalet at the top has a breathtaking view so make sure to bring along your smartphone and snap a few photos. There are hills for every skill level and the runs take more than a minute to get down. The staff are incredibly helpful and seem to love their jobs. All in all, if you're into snow sports, a trip here is a must.

The Alpine slides were Lots of fun but way too pricey. 3 people, 3 day passes for the slide and gondola ride at $44/person- way too much. The views at the top of the gondola ride are nice but there isn't much for hiking trails at the top. Don't eat at the restaurant at the top! Huge disappointment. Super greasy and overpriced. Are you ready for the kicker? No sinks or running water in the restroom for that restaurant. There are compost style toilets and hand sanitizer. Yuk! I'm not sure how that could possibly pass a health inspection.

I took my family here earlier in the week for spring break. When we first arrived and starting getting rental equipment, my daughter had a rough start because her boots were very uncomfortable. We were told that's just how they are. After we a bit, a worker finally agreed to get her some new boots. My wife, son, and I spent time while that was happening working on our own gear. They switched out her boots and she said they still didn't feel right, but were again told - "that's fine, they're supposed to be that way." We went on our way to start skiing. We weren't given another other direction at all from the staff. We ended up asking a fellow skier where the bunny slopes were to help my daughter get started since this was only her 2nd time skiing. He sent us to a hill that ended up being a green hill. It took my daughter about 45 minutes to make it down the hill. When she got to the bottom she was in a ton of pain and in tears. After some time talking, she said she just needed to get her boots off. I sent my wife and son off to continue skiing and we went back to turn in our gear. She took her boots off and as I went to turn them in, I noticed she'd been given 2 LEFT BOOTS. No wonder she was in pain and had such a difficult time skiing! We asked if there was anything they could do for us since it was the employees mistake and were told no. So, hundreds of dollars spent and my daughter made it down the hill once and I ended up turning mine in too because I couldn't just leave my 12 year old daughter sitting alone in the lodge. I couldn't be more disappointed in everything about this place from start to finish. So, if you're looking for a good place to ski...look elsewhere! I saw plenty bad reviews and ignored them. Don't make the same mistake!

I'm going to dare to say that the skiing at Lutsen is the greatest in the Midwest. The vertical is 1,000, so nothing like the resorts out West, but the prices are also a lot more affordable and there are no crowds to speak of, plus if you live in this region it's easier to get to. I taught my husband to ski here on our 1st wedding anniversary, and we've now skied from Winter Park to Nagano, but we still enjoy coming back here. The ski-in/ski-out rooms are really affordable, and the mountains offer something for everyone from Green to Double Black. The ancient red gondola is super cute, and even though the lifts are old school and kinda slow, the view of Lake Superior and out into the expanse of the Superior National Forest makes it worth it. You will often have an entire run to yourself, and there is rarely a line of more than 2 people at the lifts, making skiing here a very relaxing and pleasant experience. For apres ski there is the cute bar at Papa Charlies, which occasionally has some decent acts and serves some good spiked hot chocolate, and staying on mountain at Eagle Ridge is a treat.

It's definitely the biggest in these parts. There were some options in the runs. But in the end, they were all pretty similar. I loved the old school gondola. I'd suggest using the lutsen website if you're planning on staying the night. We got a great deal. The food choices were limited. The one on the other side of the gondola lift pretty much ran out of food (not everything, but they ran out of burgers, chicken, and more).

So we've been here for the last two days with some really great points and a few disappointments. The runs are easily the best in MN. They have a 1000' of ski-able elevation. Nice selection of everything from easy to double black diamond. There was rarely a wait longer than a couple minutes at the lifts. They had the gondola running which was quite unique to this region and a nice addition to the experience. There were some great views from the gondola. I'll add some pictures. The things I was disappointed with; their website claims that they can handle some 10k people per hour on the lifts, yet they can't figure out how to provide food to more than 20 people in 20 minutes at their chalets. We ate at both chalets and both were designed by a moron. I waited in line on Monday to get a hamburger. After 20 minutes and not going anywhere my wife and I left to go back to our room to eat. The other big thing I was disappointed with; "largest and best" ski location in the state, yet they don't have a ski shop on site. My wife came to the conclusion that she needed new snowboard boots. No problem, we are at the start of a 3 day trip, lets get some new ones. Their "Mountain Shop" has a lot of nick-knacks & books and a limited selection of hats, gloves, coats and pants. They have NO snowboarding or skiing equipment. What the heck. Do they not like money? Somebody at the top of this companies chain of command has dropped the ball. The last thing I wasn't impressed with was the trail grooming. They seemed very beat up early in the day. I can't say 100% for sure that they weren't groomed at night, but it seemed this way. So I'm very happy with the geography of this place. However, most of the man made aspects of it should have been done better.

An absolute ripoff if you visit for the (admittedly fun) gondola and alpine slide. The concession we purchased tickets from charged us over $400 for a group of mostly kids to ride once on the gondola and evidently just once on the slide.We thought we'd purchased unlimited slide tickets. Our receipts were completely un-itemized, so we had no way of knowing. When we went to ask to exchange for multiple rides on the slide, they had to get a manager in to handle it. Turned out that when we exchanged tickets for arm bands, we were comped only the price of the single slide tickets, losing $100 on the one-time gondola fees - evidently un-refundable because the tickets were collected at the gate. Who would ride the gondola all day, I don't even know. They also declined to exchange single slide tickets for 5-ride tickets because each concession has different offerings, and they claim they can't exchange purchases at different concession booths. Then, of course, after about 3 or 4 rides, a thunderstorm rolled in, and we had to leave. A family who had just purchased unlimited tickets in front of us went home out probably $200 having never used the slide, because the place doesn't issue refunds. Stay away and find something else to do in the summer months.

Paid a lot of $$$ for 3 people to ski and rent equipment. The guy at the ticket window was pissed cuz we didn't fill out form online and so he had to keep his little window open while we did. He actually yelled at my wife when she couldn't see the form on the device. Mr. Happy's brother worked in the rental shop handing out ski's. You'd think with the money you pay to ski her they may have a course in customer service that their employees could take!!!!

Lutsen is a great place to ski for any level of experience. We went two years ago in February & had a great time, so we were excited to return again this year. Unfortunately for us, only 1 run was open on Moose Mtn this weekend due to lack of snow. Thankfully lift tickets were half price! After 10 or so runs, we got tired & headed to the chalet for food. This is the one area that could definitely use improvement. Whatever their system is, it isn't working. We waited 30+ minutes for our food. The staff was very polite & apologetic for the wait, though, even offering us fries on the house! Overall, Lutsen is a great time & definitely worth the trip!

Crazy staff was recording us..... We stayed here with my family and my daughter in law was uncomfortable at dinner. The waiter had sneakily put a phone on a table nearby pointed it directly at her and was recording!!! We confronted the wait staff and picked up the phone to clearly see it was directly pointed at her and the video showed her directly and no on (creeper)!!! The wait staff lied to are entire family and said they went recording ? Wtf there was 11 of us there and they eventually said they were recording as a joke. So the manager said he would look into it. so IF YOU WANT YOUR GIRLs RECORDED WITH CREEPER PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE I WOULD RECOMMEND THERE RESTAURANT!

I agree, it's expensive. ..I'll ski spirit with cheaper lift tickets and less driving time and i can still see the lake. ..

Gondola ride was amazing during fall color season. Note that the ride is completely and easily accessible to those who use wheelchairs. I drove my large motorized wheelchair on and off with ease, and the attendants were very friendly and helpful. There didn't seem to be an accessible restroom at the restaurant at the top, but there is one in the gift shop building before you go up. They even allow dogs on the gondolas if you're traveling with one. This was the highlight of our trip to the North Shore, and worrh every penny.