Lutsen Mountains

Lutsen Mountains is a ski area in the north central United States; an alpine and cross-country area located on the North Shore region of Cook County in northeastern Minnesota.Lutsen is one of the northernmost ski areas in the United States outside of Alaska. It is located in the rugged Sawtooth Mountains, part of the Superior Highlands on the north shore of Lake Superior. Lutsen receives natural snow, at times lake effect snow from the lake at its foot, and also has snowmaking equipment. Lutsen Mountains Resort is the largest ski resort in the Midwest, also having the most vertical drop in the Midwest. The ski season extends from November into mid-April, longer than most other resorts in the Upper Midwest.Lutsen has four mountains, named Eagle, Ullr, Mystery, and Moose Mountains. Eagle should not be confused with Eagle Mountain, the highest point in Minnesota, which is actually in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.In 1989, Lutsen Mountains installed a German-made PHB Hall gondola to provide access between the base area and Moose Mountain. The gondola is the first, and currently the only, gondola in a mid-American ski resort. Lutsen is known as a family-friendly resort, being named as a Top 20 Family Ski Resort for two years in a row.