FAQs – Rib Mountain State Park & Granite Peak Ski Area
No. Mountain biking enthusiasts have been requesting mountain bike trails at Rib Mountain State Park since 2006. Granite Peak Ski Area has been discussing potential expansion for alpine skiing with the DNR since 2014.
Granite Peak has a need to expand and modernize ski and year-round resort infrastructure to maintain viability in the mid-west ski market in terms of both guest expectations and adaptations to climate change. Nationwide there has been a decades long closure of ski areas while ski populations continue to be stable. A complete ski area now has adequate ski terrain and lifts for all levels of skiers, adequate base facilities to meet customer demands, sufficient parking, and a modern ski school. Currently, Granite Peak Ski Area does not have the terrain available to provide facilities and services at the level that customers desire.
Yes. As noted in Mountain Recreation Needs Assessment — part of the SE Group’s Climate Change Assessment — there will be an expected reduction in the viable length of ski seasons in the Midwest. Granite Peak’s operating season may shrink from five months to three. Since the Greater Wausau area wishes to grow current annual visitation levels, a growth in ski terrain capacity and facilities will be needed to serve more visitors in a shorter timeframe.
No. The existing “top of the mountain features,” such as the amphitheater, day use areas, tower, Friends shelter and parking lots will be untouched. Hiking trails off the top will also continue to exist and be open to use. The quarry area will be untouched. The only alterations described in the SE assessment are the addition of multiple-use areas on small portions of existing trails and the grade adjustment to hiking trails in certain areas to improve their sustainability or alignment with other recreational features. Hunting will also continue at the park, as will skiing at Granite Peak, which is working with the DNR to facilitate safety and seasonality.
Granite Peak Ski Area would pay for leased land for new ski terrain, base facilities, lifts and proposed summer activities like zip lines, mountain coaster and challenge courses. Sponsors and donations would generally pay for mountain bike trails. The Wisconsin DNR is not expected to have any costs associated with recreational expansion.
If Option Four is chosen as the preferred course, the majority of proposed improvements will be completed in four to six years, with the remainder being built out within a 10-year timeframe.
Over the last 90 years, non-winter use of the ski lands at Rib Mountain State Park has amounted to only occasional events and some hiking. However, with its high vertical terrain, the landscape at the ski area can provide for exceptional experiences not found elsewhere in the state. These could include flow and gravity mountain bike trails, ski lift and forest tours, zip lines, a mountain coaster and additional events centered on outstanding scenery and open space. The SE Group recreational assessment points out a variety of experiences that could be created to greatly expand non-winter visitation to the area.
The goal is attainable due to Wausau’s location and the existing base of premier recreational activities already in place in the area. If Option Four were approved, the area can become an IMBA Mountain Bike Ride Center, drawing thousands of enthusiasts from around the country. The expansion of Granite Peak will amplify its status as one of the premier alpine ski areas in the central U.S. The addition of summer activities utilizing the vertical landscape at Rib Mountain State Park will potentially separate the area from all other Midwest recreational destinations.
Yes. All four alternatives have been reviewed for environmental impacts. While each alternative has a larger footprint than the former, the design layouts suggested by the SE Group are carefully inserted on the landscape to allow for minimal impact. Work will continue with the Wisconsin DNR on preserving Areas of Highest Ecological Concern.
No. While there are several isolated stands of second-growth northern mesic hardwood communities atop Rib Mountain State Park, much of the landscape, including the north face, is covered with trees with lower lifespans. Many of these species struggle to survive due to vulnerability to insects and diseases, with normal regeneration of many tree species limited by thin soils, steep slopes and over-browsing by deer. Opening spaces for ski runs and trails may increase forest sustainability by expanding edge habitat and allowing for deeper solar penetration into the forests.