Photo: Rickdrew at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Marquette Mountain is a downhill ski area on County Road 553, a short drive south of the city. It has one of the largest vertical drops in the Midwest, and from the top skiers can see Lake Superior.
The area opened in the late 1950s as Cliffs Ridge, a name tied to Cleveland-Cliffs. It was later renamed Marquette Mountain.
Why winter matters
Lake-effect snow gives the area a long season, often from late November into spring. Snowmaking helps in thin years.
For local businesses, a good ski season brings visitors to hotels and restaurants during months that would otherwise be quiet. It also keeps young families and students in town who might otherwise travel to ski.
More than skiing
The area hosts racing for high school and college teams and runs a ski school. Summer uses such as mountain biking have grown as owners look for ways to earn money year round.
Ownership
The mountain has changed hands several times. Each owner has wrestled with the costs of lifts, snowmaking and lodges. Its future depends on reliable snow and on people choosing to ski close to home.
