Giants Ridge, Biwabik

This region, known as Minnesota's Iron Range, is located northwest of Duluth. It is home to Giant's Ridge, one of the Gopher State's biggest golf and ski resorts. Residents are proud of its reputation as "America's Icebox." On a sunny day, from high atop the 550-foot ski hill, the view of lakes and forests seems to stretch as far as Hudson Bay. The 34 trails that soar off the rocky crest offer some of the best cruising runs around the Great Lakes. The Giant was first developed as an Olympic training site with World Class cross country trails, and the trails are still maintained to Olympic-calibre standards. ActivitiesSnowboarding: Snowboarders are allowed on all trails, but for the big air group, Giant Ridge's terrain park features more than 3,000 feet of freeriding fun. Open to boarders, bladers and skiers, it's loaded with a halfpipe, quarter pipe and variety of rails, boxes and even a full-size bus buried in the snow. Cross Country Profile: 60 kilometers on groomed cross country ski trails. Three kilometers are available for night skiing. Numerous trails are lift accesible from the top of the mountain.LodgingThe Lodge at Giants Ridge is the new on-site lodging facility, with many other accomodations minutes away.Winter RecreationAlpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing.