Cascade is well worth an extra hours drive if your considering Wilmot or Alpine Valley for a Midwest ski experience. No offense to those spots, but Cascade is probably a full 2 steps above Alpine/Wilmot and is more closely aligned with the ski experience at Granite Peak or Boyne.
Located 2 hours and 40 minutes from Chicago, Cascade is a solid option for beginners, as well as being a really fun place for experienced skiers. This is one of only a few places I've been to in the Midwest which delivers an experience I would comfortably rate at a 7 out of 10 level based on what it offers to both beginners and veterans. Experienced skiers will enjoy navigating the many wide and lengthy wooded trails that make Cascade a really fun, and challenging place to ski.
They have 48 runs and 11 lifts (2 express), so this is a sizeable mountain. While it's often crowded, due to its proximity to Chicago, I found the crowds to be manageable, even on a notoriously crowded ski weekend like Presidents Day.
The Peak bar (the view from inside is pictured above) has a great draft beer list (that is focused on Wisconsin breweries), large windows and an attached patio to watch the main Mountain Top Express lift at center mountain.
For experienced skiers, your best bet is to head away from Mountain Top Express and spend most of your time at the Cindy Pop (express) and B-Dub lifts. The trails in these area offer more wooded blue and black runs that are wide and enjoyable with plenty of room to move from side to side.
Cascade's amenities and food options are pretty basic, but they do have them. They include a tubing hill for non skiers, a cute coffee shop chalet, an onsite ski shop and a larger dining area where the bar is located. The ground level fire pits get plenty of use; we saw some people grilling sausages over the pits during a recent visit.
Cascade is a terrific Midwest ski venue. The mountain is bigger, the runs are longer, and the skiing is better than any other place within 3 hours of Chicago. The tubing hill is a really nice amenity, one not offered at most mountains, and there is plenty to do nearby in Portage or Baraboo to make for a nice weekend trip. If you want to add an extra day and take your family to an indoor water park, Wisconsin Dells is less than 30 minutes away.
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