Antoine Mountain — Attraction in Mattawan

I booked a lesson which is a process. It is not like other hills where you can book online for a timing and simply arrive. You need to request for it, then wait for a phone call or play email tag to get details and timings. No one answers the phones or emails during the week since they are closed. Was told though that they would by email as there is someone in the office even when closed. Usually a manager of some type. This style of booking, almost gives the feeling that you need to be invited to the hill rather than be a guest. As a suggestion, pakenham makes it very easy. They probably schedule instructors in advance since they make available how many slots are available, and for what times. I click on what I want, including my lift ticket and purchase all online. Arrive there, and away I go.

Hill is nice. Had my lesson. Only been skiing for 1.5yrs. Broke my leg elsewhere the previous year. So I am more cautious at the moment. But I want to get into it. When you go up, hill is rugged in my opinion. Green circles had sticks, made for narrow steep paths to go down in order to bypass that, otherwise you would go over 5 ft drops. Then you had to be careful you knew how to stop or steer because if you didn't, there is a treed drop off straight ahead with no fencing. There was not much fencing anywhere, and there are several areas of treed drop offs, again, with no fencing.

As a beginner, the skiing itself was a challenge. Skis would bite. Thought it was perhaps a bad ski after a wax. Even when the hills are groomed, its because patches of spots are soft, while others are hard. Skis would sink a few inches making you fall. Other spots had glossy ice patches, and the sides were all soft according to my instructor. Not much signage for that other than a caution sign. Use "Caution: soft sides". "Caution" doesn't tell me much. As a beginner, this poses many challenges for a green circle person trying to learn, and several dangers. The hill is mostly angled, and not flat. Going forward, your always angled to one direction. Makes a wicked burn in one leg and not the other. The hill also has several small mogels everywhere. Its good for some, but on green circles when trying to learn, I could care less for them. I was nervous, had to stop many times due to the steepness and unique terrain. Plus, I did not feel well my second run up. Stayed on the bunny hill. The hill needs work in the summer.

The food, VERY exspensive. $12.50 for there Antione burger. It is a homemade burger that resembled a semi-flat meatball due to a person cupping it when flattening it. So the edges are thin, the middle very thick. Burger was small, and was actually smaller than the small bun used. The buns were simply pulled from a bag that clearly came from a grocery store. Had flavor, but is far from being close to $12.50. Gatorade $4, chips $3. Bring your own lunch and eat in the parking lot. Can't bring your own food, signs forbid it.

Compared to other hills, it is one of the more exspensive hills. Around $120 for an hour private lesson. Other places are 89 - 99. All day lift pass, around 80 bucks. Other places are around 39 - 50. No option for a 4hr lift pass in the morning. Only in the afternoon. Clearly is a way to make people pay extra. Lesson I found was not helpful. Very quiet person. Gave some pointers, but not much. Maybe because of my constant stopping and falling frustrations.

Overall:

Pros: Large hill Good for more intermediate and advanced people. Clean People are friendly Parking is close to the hill Not many people there on the weekend, so you can go up quicker.

Cons: Food is way over-priced for what you get. Not a beginner hill in the slightest. Dangerous due to lack of guard rails/fencing. Not well groomed. Limited booking options forcing you to pay for a whole day. Drastically over-priced to get in or for lessons. A feeling of needing to be invited and not arrive as a guest due to style of booking.

I will be back, but not for...

A Hidden Gem with Incredible Service! If you haven not been to Antoine Mountain, you are seriously missing out! This place has everything you want in a ski hill—great runs, stunning views, and a welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel like part of the community the moment you arrive.

The slopes? Fantastic. Whether you're carving down a black diamond or just cruising on the groomers, the conditions are consistently solid. But what really sets this place apart is the customer service—and that’s where Cathy comes in.

Cathy is an absolute rockstar. From the second you walk in, she’s there with a big smile, ready to help with whatever you need. Questions? She’s got answers. Issues? She solves them before they even become a problem. It’s rare to find someone who genuinely cares about your experience, but Cathy goes above and beyond to make sure every guest has an amazing day on the hill.

It’s the little things—her kindness, efficiency, and the way she makes sure everything runs smoothly—that turn a good ski trip into a great one. You can tell she loves what she does, and it makes a difference. If you’re looking for a laid-back, fun, and friendly ski destination with top-notch service, get yourself to Antoine Mountain. And when you do, make sure to say hi to...

I had the pleasure of spending six days on snow at Antoine Mountain recently. I cannot say enough about this almost hidden gem of a snow resort.

Every staff member that I encountered was happy, friendly, and helpful. I had some special requirements during my stay and they went above and beyond to help me and my friends out!

While I cannot speak to all the food on the menu, the salads that I had were the freshest and tastiest ever. I am not sure where they get strawberries that are just as good as those in June!

Given the warm and rainy weather that we have had this winter, there was a good amount of terrain open due to snowmaking. Mother nature helped out with an "Ontario powder day" when central Ontario was getting rain. Just a bit further north can make a big difference.

While there is only one lift up the hill, there was almost no wait. I am not sure what it is like when it really gets busy, but the terrain is quite fun for an Ontario resort. The view from the top is great with the Ottawa river, an interesting dam, hills across the river, and the town of Mattawa in the distance.

Give them a try for a ski or snowboard...