What Should You Know About Cannonsburg Ski Area? The Overview

Snowboarder at  Cannonsburg Ski Area

Cannonsburg Ski Area is the home of Grand Rapids, Michigan skiing and snowboarding. For less than a half-hour drive from the city, you can be on the trails. Cannonsburg isn’t a huge ski area but they do have trails from beginner to double black diamond. In addition, they have a fun snow tubing park for even more fun!

Read on about Cannonsburg Ski Area and you’ll be ready to make a ski trip out from Grand Rapids.

Highlights of Cannonsburg

Let’s talk about the stats. Here are some stats on Cannonsburg ski area that will get you excited.

  • 21 trails
  • 9 lifts
  • Night skiing
  • Snow tubing

Where is Cannonsburg Ski Area Located?

Cannonsburg Ski Area is located in Belmont, Michigan. It sits just outside of Grand Rapids. If you are looking for one of the closest places to ski near Grand Rapids then Cannonsburg should be on your list. Here are some estimated times from nearby places to get to Cannonsburg Ski Area.

  • Grand Rapids, MI – 20 minutes, 16 miles
  • Lansing, MI – 1 hour and 10 minutes, 68 miles
  • Saginaw, MI – 2 hours, 100 miles
  • Detroit, MI – 2 hours and 30 minutes, 159 miles
  • Chicago, IL – 3 hours, 192 miles

What is Cannonsburg Ski Area?

Cannonsburg is one of the local ski areas nearby Grand Rapids Michigan. They focus on getting out the community between their trails and snow tubing park. Adults can also join part in the race league which runs throughout the season.  

Lodging Near Cannonsburg Ski Area

Cannonsburg Ski Area is generally a day trip or night time skiing area. With 21 trails, you will get to your favorites and probably ride them again. That being said, some people do need lodging near the ski area. The best hotels can be found back in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids has all your large usual hotel chains including – 

  • DoubleTree by Hilton
  • TownePlace Suites by Marriott
  • Comfort Inn
  • Best Western

You’ll find the majority of the hotels near the airport. That means if you fly in for business or pleasure, you can even drive out to Cannonsburg and get a few runs in. Just use their rental gear.

Pro Tip: Flying into Grand Rapids for business and want to ski? The ski area is no more than 30 minutes from the hotels in Grand Rapids.

Night Skiing at Cannonsburg

So is there night skiing at Cannonsburg? You bet! The night skiing runs from 4 pm to close, 7 days a week. The hill is generally open till 9 pm.

The Best Time to Visit The Ski Area

The night sessions are a great time to get out to Cannonsburg. A lot of people have already gone home so the trails and lifts are often not crowded. If you can head out after work on a Monday or Tuesday, it is one of the best times to ride.

Terrain Parks – What to Know

Terrain parks at Cannonsburg Ski Area.
Terrain parks at Cannonsburg Ski Area. Photo Credit: Brian Josefowicz (Flickr CC)

The slopes are full of terrain parks at Cannonsburg! Here is a list of them-

  • Cannon Park
  • Showtime
  • Jiblet
  • The Playground 
  • Burton Riglet

The parks can get busy on the weekends so be sure to look before hitting a feature. Start on the small stuff and work your way up. If you are new then Then Burton Riglet, the Playground and Jiblet should be before progressing onto Showtime and Cannon Park.

Is Cannonsburg Ski Area Good for Beginners?

Cannonsburg Ski Area is fantastic for beginners that want to ski or snowboard. Tons of people learn at Cannonsburg each year from the Grand Rapids area. We’d definitely recommend that if you are local, take a few trips to Cannonsburg before going up north to the larger resorts.

The Trails: Some of the Favorites

Some of the best trails at Cannonsburg are off of the triple chair lift. Beginners will certainly have to work their way up as it only services intermediate and advanced runs. Here are some of the notable runs at Cannonsburg to check out, organized by skill level.

Beginner

  • Mini-Goff

Intermediate

  • Super Dave
  • I-96

Advanced

  • Cascade
  • Bear Trap

Is Bear Trap the best run in your opinion? Let us know. We’d say so.

Other Winter Activities at The Ski Area

Want to do a bit more at Cannonsburg? Visit the main office.  You can rent out Snowshoes and Fatbikes for use. If you are a regular at Cannonsburg, it is a great way to change it up from just riding the downhill trails or terrain park.

The other activity that draws a crowd at Cannonsburg is the snow tubing. It makes for a great winter birthday party or corporate function. It doesn’t matter if you are an adult or child, you will have fun.

Summers at Cannonsburg

Summer nights on the slopes at Cannonsburg Ski Area. Photo Credit: TheKarenD (Flickr CC)

When the seasons change Cannonsburg trails stay open. They don’t have snow of course but you can visit to go biking, hiking or jogging. One awesome thing to note is they don’t charge for summer trail use.

Pro Tip: You can use the trails at Cannonsburg in the summer for no cost. Show Cannonsburg some love and support them in the winter!

Final Thoughts:

Calling all downhill riders, beginners and park junkies. Cannonsburg has something for you all.  Will this be the year you step it up from blue trails to the black diamonds? Or will it be the year that you stomp that new trick in the terrain park? 

Let us know your thoughts on Cannonsburg Ski Area.

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