How to Go Skiing in Buena Vista, Minnesota

Buena Vista, Minnesota is a ski area that offers local lodging, dining opportunities and great skiing between November and March of each year. This ski area welcomes skiers of all skill levels, as well as snowboarders and tubers.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Credit card
• Internet access
• Computer

Book Your Ski Trip Accommodations

1. Choose your lodging through the Explore Minnesota Tourism Web site (see Resources below). You can also call them directly at (888) TOURISM to find out more about available accommodations options near Buena Vista.
2. Take advantage of the on-site Continental Cafe at the Buena Vista Ski Area Chalet. Here you can buy snacks, hot food and hot and cold beverages.
3. Expect comfortable yet moderately priced accommodations in surrounding cities. You can find both standard chain hotels and independent inns with Swedish-inspired decor.
4. Book your lodging at a participating hotel and enjoy a 10 percent discount on your lift ticket. To receive your discount, you will need to bring your hotel receipt, your room key or a discount voucher from a participating hotel to the ski area.

Budget for Lift Tickets, Ski Lessons and Equipment Rentals

5. Create your ski trip budget for lift tickets. The price for lift tickets varies depending on the age of the skier and the day of the week you ski on. A Friday lift tickets are the cheapest, followed by Sunday and then Saturday. All tickets are inexpensive.
6. Budget for lessons and equipment rentals. This ski area does offer ski and snowboard equipment rentals, as well as children's ski lessons, women's ski lessons and mixed group ski lessons.

Research Travel Options for Your Ski Trip

7. Be prepared to drive. The closest commercial airport to the Buena Vista Ski Area is the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. It is located a little over 250 miles away.
8. Get directions. If you book a rental car, you will need to drive north from Bemidji, Minnesota for about 12 miles on Country Road #15 in order to reach the Buena Vista Ski Area.

Discover What Buena Vista Ski Area Has to Offer

9. Discover what types of ski conditions you will encounter on your ski trip. Before you book your reservations, learn about what Buena Vista in Minnesota has to offer. For example, it offers alpine skiing, night skiing, 25 km of cross country skiing, snow tubing runs and snowboarding opportunities.
10. Get to know the Buena Vista Ski Area. Its base elevation is 1,280 feet, its summit elevation is 1, 510 feet, it has a vertical drop of 230 feet, it offers 30 acres of ski area and it gets an annual snowfall of about 78 inches.
11. Plan your ski trip activities around the types of lifts that will be available. This ski area offers 5 different lifts including 1 rope tow, 2 double chair lifts and 2 triple chair lifts.
12. Visit the Buena Vista Ski Area Web site to find out the current snow conditions on the slopes (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Book online to take advantage of early-bird ski specials in late October and November.