While Raging Buffalo is open to both skiers and snowboarders, it’s a terrain park designed more for those interested taking advantage of the unique challenges on the way down, like half pipes, table tops, and rails. Also available is a fun tubing hill with a magic carpet lift that makes it very easy to entertain young kids. Villa Olivia is located northwest of the city close to Elgin, Ill., and about 40 miles from downtown Chicago. You’ll find two easier runs, two more difficult runs and one most difficult, in addition to a snowboard terrain park.

(Three other tow ropes are also on the hill). Operated by the Bartlett Park District, Villa Olivia is a bit bigger than Four Lakes, with 180 vertical feet, and most importantly for a lot of skiers and snowboarders, a chairlift to the top of its longest trails. During the week there’s night skiing until 10 p.m., and snowmaking allows the hill to stay open as long as the temperatures cooperate. There’s even a terrain park for snowboarders to show off their skills. While only about 100 feet in elevation, the hill does feature seven different lifts (all tow ropes) and a variety of slopes to test skiers and boarders as they improve. Many western suburban kids have learned to ski at Four Lakes, a big hill in Lisle that’s been around for more than 50 years and is less than 30 miles from downtown Chicago.

So skip those security lines and luggage fees and take the day to explore the best slopes close to Chicago. If you’ve never tried skiing or snowboarding before, the smaller hills are great, affordable places to learn. 1-but you can still find plenty of hills that have some surprisingly good ski and snowboard options. Illinois may be the second flattest state in the country-Florida is No. People are willing to hop on a plane to enjoy skiing and snowboarding for that once-a-year mountain vacation.īut you don’t have to take to the skies to hit the slopes. If you talk to the big western resorts, you’ll find that Chicago is indeed one of their biggest markets. Of course, that old joke is based in the fact that while the Chicago area is blessed with many natural resources, mountains aren’t one of them. Where do you go if you’re interested in skiing near Chicago? O’Hare Airport.

Magic carpet snowboard