Granite Peak Ski Area — Attraction in Town of Rib Mountain

First of all, this is NOT a ski/snowboard review, this is a wedding review!

We had our wedding at Granite Peak Sundance Chalet in July. It is a GORGEOUS space with giant windows and just the best lighting! It has plenty of parking and plenty of space! Now…why 2 stars.

The wedding coordinator is horrific. At first, she is super nice, helpful, etc., but the couple months leading up to the day was annoying. I would email her numerous times asking questions and she would call me and answer them. Now at first I didn’t think anything of it, but I shortly figured it out - no conversation is documented then, which is exactly what she wants. When setting up, we blew numerous breakers and she was no where in sight to fix them, we had to fix them on our own. Our DJ needed more stuff and the wifi password for protective measures and she refused to get it out. They charge you an absurd amount of money in the first place, with nothing included. We were fine paying it, but then expect service to be top notch. We requested four bartenders and the coordinator and another bartender worked only (miscommunication on my end) - BUT the coordinator was also bartending and collecting tips AFTER we paid the bartenders 19% automatically. Oh, and I had to wait in line numerous times as the bride because she wasn’t behind the bar. The air conditioning went out and she just kept saying “they are working on it” - which they were, but we paid a large amount of money for the air to be on. When ordering the alcohol, she didn’t order enough whatsoever and then said we wouldn’t pay for extras or keep them and then charged us for extra wine bottles that we came home with! She wasn’t able to provide a detailed receipt for the bar, which is suspicious when the bar bill is over $6,000 AND she is the coordinator AND collecting tips ON TOP of 19%. Overall, she is a nightmare to work with and caused stress on the day before and the day of the event. Our lights set up by her recommended vendor weren’t high enough she goes “what do you want me to do about it” - quite honestly the amount of times I heard that on my wedding day was a joke.

The best part: I went to ask her a question about the wifi and she stated she was with a bride for 2024 - I was like well I am a bride for tomorrow, and I feel like that is important.

Overall, 2 starts for the BEAUTIFUL AND EXPENSIVE venue, but all the docked stars are due to the horrific event coordination. Our day was still perfect, just elements could have been avoid for the price you pay! It’s one of the most expensive venues...

As a recent transplant to St. Louis from California, I was skeptical about finding a ski area within a day's drive that could offer real vertical and fun runs. After doing some research, I decided Granite Peak, Wisconsin— a seven-hour drive — was my best option, and it didn’t disappoint. This was my first time skiing at a Midwest resort, and I spent three days there during Christmas week. It was absolutely worth the trip. The snowmaking and grooming were excellent, with about three feet of snow on the slopes, and there were plenty of great cruisers to choose from. I’m an advanced-intermediate skier, and while none of the runs were overly difficult, they were still a lot of fun. I was able to lap runs easily and rack up a lot of vertical throughout the day. The terrain is steeper at the top and mellows out nicely toward the bottom, offering a good variety. Night skiing is included with the day pass, which makes it an even better value. The staff was friendly, parking was easy, and the resort sits right next to Wausau with all the accommodations and dining options I could want. The whole area felt like a winter wonderland, and the views from the top — looking out over the flat Wisconsin River Valley and the lights of Wausau — made the experience even more memorable. While I was a little disappointed that the entire mountain wasn’t open (it opened fully the week after Christmas), everything that was open was fantastic. I did notice a lot of beginners near the base area, so it’s important to use some caution where all the runs converge. However, once the full mountain is open — including the two chairs on the west and east side of the mountain that serve primarily intermediate and advanced runs — the skier traffic will spread out significantly. This will help minimize congestion at the bottom and provides more options to avoid beginner areas altogether. Overall, I had an incredible time and plan to make Granite Peak a bi-annual trip, fitting it in before my yearly two-week ski...

First time skiers here... from the south, and we had a blast. Well worth the money. The place was clean; the people were nice; the price was reasonable; the experience was priceless! We headed north for Christmas in hopes of snow. After not getting any, we headed over the Granite Peak and left happy and still in one piece with no broken bones. we didn't even feel bad for falling and crashing all over the place, because everyone else was, too! lol We did not purchase the lift tickets, just stayed on the carpet. That was plenty to keep us first timers (ages 13 to 44) busy from 2PM to 9PM. We did not purchase any lessons, just watched and some of the people were kind enough to give us a few tips. Fellow non skiers: There are two carpets. One to the far left of where you get your tickets. It looks like you are going to a lift, but you walk past that. This is where you want to start. It is much flatter than the first one you will see that is located right behind the lodge. There is a conveyer belt that takes you up a small incline, but there is no worker at the bottom of that belt, just the top. Be prepared for sudden stops on the belt if someone falls. It won't hurt, but it may cause you to lose your balance if you are not expecting it. After you have mastered the small carpet, then move to the one directly behind the lodge. This one is a longer carpet and you will get a little more speed up as you will go a farther distance. If you want just speed and no hills yet, go to the left when you get off the carpet. If you want to try a few bunny hills, go to the right. Tip for those who have used a skateboard or rip stick, yes snowboards will be easier and more natural than skies. They cost the same to rent. At first we thought they would be harder and told the kids to go with skies. After a while, they convinced us to trade them in, which they did at no extra charge. The kids did...