The West is packed with cat skiing operations, from Lake Tahoe all the way up the Powder Highway. You can even ride a snowcat at Sugarbush Ski Resort to catch first tracks. But east of the Rockies, true cat skiing has been virtually nonexistent until Mount Bohemia’s Voodoo Mountain proved it could be done. This operation has been running for years, and powder hounds might even call it the best skiing in the Midwest.
Where’s Voodoo Mountain?
When people describe Michigan, they often hold up their hand like a mitten to show where they live. Voodoo Mountain isn’t in the mitten at all, it’s in the Upper Peninsula, part of the heavy hitters of UP skiing. Yoopers have a clever way to show this: they turn their hand sideways, shaped like the UP, and point to the northern tip. Voodoo Mountain sits just down the road from historic Copper Harbor, a 19th century port once used for mining and shipping copper. Today, it’s a hub for off the grid adventures, from snowmobiling to cat skiing.
How Big Is The Midwest Cat Skiing Operation?
Since it opened, Voodoo Mountain has offered over 200 acres across two peaks with a vertical drop of 700 feet. For 2025/26, the operation has expanded to 450 acres and added a third mountain, with plans to keep growing. At full size, the terrain will stretch 2.5 miles wide, covering more than 1,400 skiable acres across four peaks. From each peak, you’ll be treated to stunning views of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. Compared to Mt. Bohemia’s legendary steep slopes, the terrain here is a bit more mellow, with well manicured glades and open sections perfect for letting your skis rip. Imagine a strong intermediate pitch with a blank canvas of powder in front of you—what more could you want?
Consistent Snow = Great Cat Skiing
Stunning scenery is awesome, but what makes a place great for a cat skiing operation? The primary factor is all about the snow. The essentials are simple:
- Consistent snowstorms
- Cold weather
- Oodles of snow
Voodoo Mountain is very fortunate in where it’s situated. Its locale makes it the BEST place in the Midwest for such an operation. Out West, you need to wait for a snowstorm to show up and dump snow. In the UP, as long as it’s cold and the wind is blowing from the W, NW or N, the best ‘snow-making machine’ on the planet naturally dumps insane amounts of light, dry snow over its acreage. Lake Superior helps keep the air temperatures cold in the Spring, ensuring a long ski season as well. Finally, all the aspects are North facing, making sure that the fresh snow is preserved until late Spring. Alongside Mother Nature’s help, the cat skiing operation only runs a few times per week allowing it time to refill after it’s been tracked out.
The Details
If all that wasn’t enough, the cost for a day of cat skiing is equivalent to one lift ticket at Vail or Breckenridge ski resort AND you don’t need to hop a flight if you live in the Midwest.
- Cost: $175 pp / day
- Approximate Season: December 27 – March 14
If you have 17 friends that love to ride (and you can organize them), you can book a WHOLE cat for the day at $2,000, making it only $117 pp. For more info, head to their website found here.
