Featured Destinations

Paul Bunyan: Ski the ‘Biggest Little Hill’ in the Midwest

After a 25-year hiatus, a ski hill in northern Oconto County has reopened. Paul Bunyan Ski Hill is now open for Wisconsin’s winter. The Lakewood ski and tubing hill, great for all ages and abilities, is open from December to March. Owners TJ and Wendy Kerscher spent the summer of 2021 renovating the chalet and prepping the ski hill to reopen for the winter of 2021-22. Now in its second season, Paul Bunyan Ski Hill calls itself the “Biggest Little Hill in the Midwest.” Paul Bunyan Ski Hill offers economically priced lift tickets for a day or night on the slopes.

Lift Ticket Prices

Day Lift Tickets

$30/day Adults
$25/day Kids (17 and under)
$15/day Bunny Hill
Season passes available
Ski or Snowboard Rental $30.00

Night Skiing

Adult $25.00
Student $20.00 (17 and under)
Bunny $15.00
Ski or Snowboard Rental $28.00

Ski Hill Amenities

Full-service restaurant
External warming shack
Full ski patrol
Skiing & snowboarding lessons
K2 Ski and K2 snowboarding equipment rentals
Terrain park

Ski Hill Hours

10am-4pm Saturday and Sunday for skiing and tubing
5pm-9pm Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday for night skiing
Open daily from Christmas to New Year’s Day

Ski Hill Location

Address: 15360 Ski Hill Lane, Lakewood
Directions: Two miles north of Lakewood. Head northeast on North Road. Right on Chalet Lane. Right on Ski Hill Lane

Paul Bunyan Ski Lifts

At 72 acres in size, Paul Bunyan Ski Hill is a small hill compared to most. However, with ski runs ranging from beginner to expert, the hill “skis bigger” than it is. Paul Bunyan’s 150-foot vertical drop makes for some short but exciting runs. Skiers take multiple ski lifts to ski the entire hill. The hill is equipped with a Hall T-Bar ski lift and four rope tows. The tubing hill is equipped with a handle tow.

Paul Bunyan Ski Runs

As a nod to the ski hill’s past, TJ and Wendy kept the original names for the runs. TJ acknowledges that Paul Bunyan is a little hill with big, scary names for a couple of its most popular runs – Suicide and Widow Maker. In 2022, TJ transitioned Suicide run into three different runs, which were unnamed at the time of this writing. The names of other runs are less imposing: Rock Wall, which features a rock cliff jump, Expert, Bunny, Sadie’s Slide, and Blue Ox. The hill is equipped with snow-making capabilities for 100% coverage on every run.

Paul Bunyan Ski Hill History

Paul Bunyan Ski Hill has an interesting history. It initially opened in the early 1960s, run by the nonprofit Lakewood Mardi Gras Association. TJ’s parents, Tony and Jean Kerscher, purchased the ski hill in 1986 and ran the operation until 1995, with TJ as manager. In 1997, the chalet collapsed under a heavy snow load, and TJ bought the property and rebuilt the chalet as his home. In 2005, TJ opened Ski Hill Bar and started hosting Lakewood Country Fest, a summer music festival featuring nationally acclaimed country music artists. When Covid-19 slowed the bar business and TJ’s manufacturing company, the timing was right to get the ski hill and chalet ready to reopen. Looking back, TJ says it was one of the most labor-intensive but rewarding experiences of his lifetime. Ever since the ski hill closed in 1995, TJ dreamed of the day when it would reopen. Seeing kids smiling and families having fun makes it all worthwhile.

Plan Your Ski Adventure

For an economical, family-friendly ski trip with an “up north feel,” visit Paul Bunyan Ski Hill in Lakewood, northern Oconto County. For the latest ski conditions, visit SkiPaulBunyan.com or visit the Paul Bunyan Ski Hill Facebook page.