Top Things to do in Iowa
Top Hotels in Iowa
- 1. Des Lux Hotel
- 2. Stoney Creek Hotel
- 3. Hampton Inn West Des Moines Lake Drive
- 4. Drury Inn & Suites West Des Moines
- 5. Drury Inn & Suites Iowa City Coralville
- 6. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cedar Falls, IA
- 7. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Ames, IA
- 8. Hotel Julien Dubuque
- 9. Cobblestone Inn & Suites - Forest City
- 10. Hotel Renovo
Countries
5 Ski & Snowboard Areas in Iowa That You Shouldn't Miss
History and monuments dot this landscape almost as often as the golden farmlands. Learn about America’s 31st president at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch. In northeast Iowa is the Effigy Mounds National Monument, a group of prehistoric American Indian burial and ceremonial mounds. This part of Iowa is also home to the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage. The 37-county region tells the story of American agriculture, agribusiness and farm life and is affiliated with the National Park Service. In addition, there are five national wildlife refuges here. If you love history, imagine seeing the Amana Colonies, consisting of seven historic villages in 1855 by German immigrants as a religious communal society. Here you can also buy antiques, hand-woven baskets, furniture and clocks and locally made wine and beer. In Ames, take the family to see the Christian Petersen Art Museum, a newer structure that exhibits works of art by Christian Petersen and contemporary artists. You won’t want to miss the state capital of Des Moines, home to Blank Park Zoo with its naturalistic exhibits and more than 800 animals from five continents. You also should enjoy the Brenton Skating Plaza, an outdoor family entertainment venue.
Restaurants in Iowa
1. Sundown Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 58 reviews
Sundown Mountain Resort in Dubuque, Iowa is one of the best Midwest ski resorts and the premier destination to take your family skiing and snowboarding this winter! Conveniently located in the heart of the Midwest, Sundown Mountain Resort attracts skiers and snowboarders of all abilities looking for their winter adventure. At Sundown Mountain, we have something for everyone; whether you are an experienced winter enthusiast or just learning how to get down the hill, Sundown Mountain offers plenty of snowy fun and an unforgettable Midwest winter experience. Sundown is a true Midwest ski resort destination offering great snow and an unforgettable winter experience.
Reviewed By MrsEEV - Chicago, United States
My large family has been going to the same ski resort (Chestnut Mountain in Galena, IL) since I was a teenager. Now my husband and I take our own daughter (12 yrs old) skiing there every winter as well. Since we've been going there forever, we never thought to look into other alternatives. This year however, we discovered the hidden gem that is Sundown Mountain in Dubuque, IA! We had previously stayed at Eagle Ridge in Galena yearly to be close to the ski resort but a few years ago on an extended trip, we ventured into neighboring Dubuque, IA (less than a 30 min drive from Galena) and fell in love with the charming & historical Hotel Julien, where we now stay for ski weekends. While I was researching winter activities for this ski trip, I stumbled across Sundown Mountain in Dubuque, just 20 minutes from Hotel Julien and 40 minutes from downtown Galena (who knew?) and it seemed too good to be true. Their Friday night ski special is what drew me in; how can you beat $54 for skiing 4pm-midnight including lift ticket and equipment rental??? All of their other weekend prices beat Chestnut as well, especially if you stay in the beginner area at Sundown and only pay $20 for that lift ticket. We went Fri-Sun so we figured we'd check it out Fri evening and if it was dingy we could still have all of Saturday to ski at Chestnut Mountain. Boy were we blown away! We arrived at Sundown Mountain around 6pm Fri, later than we expected after checking into Hotel Julien but still an adequate amount of time to utilize the ski special until midnight. We liked the layout right away as the set-up of the 2 main lodges is more condensed than at Chestnut; close enough to one another to walk in heavy ski boots back and forth from the beginner area to the lodge where food & drinks are located to take breaks. Everything was nice and modern and not outdated which is easy to hide sometimes in online pictures. Parking was much easier than at Chestnut which is not impossible, it just can be difficult with how busy it is there. Main lodge was very nice, large with tall ceilings, and I liked that you purchase tickets and get equipment in the same lodge, unlike at Chestnut. The main thing that stood out was how friendly and outgoing the instructors were while we were walking around. Since we were not wearing skis or gear on the mountain, a particularly outgoing instructor asked us if we were trying to find our children and offered to help us. When we informed her we were just checking out the mountain in advance, she started telling us all about the facility and the group lessons. There happened to be a group starting a lesson near us as well as small clusters all around the beginner area and I knew right away I wanted my daughter to have a lesson there just by listening to how enthusiastic all of the instructors were. It had gotten late so we decided to return the following day to ski all day and skip Chestnut altogether. When we arrived Saturday we decided to let my 12 yr old daughter do the snowboard group lesson (only $15!) and it was the best decision of this trip. The lessons are drop-in and the times are posted online which I found very convenient. I did skiing and my daughter tried snowboarding for the first time ever. All of the equipment was in great condition, just as at Chestnut. I should also mention that Chestnut mountain is a bigger and more spread out resort because it has onsite lodging, whereas Sundown Mountain does not offer lodging which did not matter to us since we have never utilized the lodging at Chestnut as it's a bit outdated. Besides the equipment being great, the lessons are an hour and a half long which is longer than most places, including Chestnut. There were only 3 people in my daughter's snowboard lesson 'group', there were several instructors available for that drop-in time slot, which meant she was able to get a lot of one on one attention from her instructor for questions and demonstrations. Her instructor (a female snowboarder) was very positive and encouraging which I believe inspired my 12 yr old to not want to give up and switch to skis; she was determined to master snowboarding! After her lesson ended the instructor congratulated her on how well she had progressed and encouraged her to keep practicing on the bunny hill. She did not want to stop snowboarding! I had to force her to take a break at the lodge to have a quick lunch. Food area is a small cafeteria-like spot inside one of the lodges (similar to Chestnut although Chestnut also has an additional full restaurant on-site). I liked that Sundown allows you to bring your own food as well (as does Chestnut) and there are tables where you can eat and watch the skiers. There's also a full bar area around the corner from the food concessions where there happened to be live music the day we were there. I would have liked if the bar was overlooking the bunny hill instead so parents could have a beer and still be able to keep an eye on their children but I believe it was intended as a convenience for the more advanced skiers to stop for a drink which is also nice. We spent 6 hours on the mountain total and my daughter did not even want to stop then, despite being exhausted. I can't believe she made it beyond the 1st bunny hill onto the second beginner area that let's you ride the ski lift up even as a beginner! At Chestnut, you must purchase a ski lift ticket even if you never leave the bunny hill which doesn't even allow an opportunity to ride the lift. At Sundown, there's more than one ski lift and I found that to be a wonderful perk for beginners that wouldn't be an option at Chestnut. Overall, Sundown Mountain was an awesome discovery and a fantastic ski resort for beginners (and probably even advanced skiers, as we saw many on the more advanced hills flying by and doing tricks) families, groups of friends, or really just anyone looking to have an amazing time. I couldn't have been more impressed and we will absolutely be returning and have already recommended to all of our friends and family. I could go on and on about this place...and I did!
2. Ambrose A Call State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
3. Seven Oaks Recreation
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 40 reviews
Seven Oaks, “Your Destination for Outdoor Recreation” offers a wide range of activities, many unique to Iowa, including snow boarding, skiing, snow tubing, river floats and more. We provide fun and relaxation for diverse ages that want to socialize and participate in the great outdoors to remain mentally and physically healthy. Seven Oaks is a family owned and operated “beginner friendly” resort for individuals and groups of all sizes.
Reviewed By Trip227260
This season I purchased a season pass. I can’t say enough good things about this ski hill. For the Midwest the snow is fantastic and every inch is groomed to perfection! The lodge is beautiful and the lifts are fast and efficient! Great staff too.
4. Mt. Crescent Ski Area
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 28 reviews
Outdoor recreational facility offering skiing, snowboarding & sledding during the winter and ziplining & running events during the summer.
Reviewed By Owenrides - Omaha, United States
I first found out about Mt. Crescent about 9yrs ago. I had recently moved to Omaha from the Michigan area where there's many ski areas all within a couple hours of driving. I was worried I might have to just sell my gear, how was I going to ever snowboard again being surrounded by fairly flat corn fields in the midwest! Much to my surprise and delight I came across Mt. Crescent when searching for places to ride close to Omaha. Close is an understatement, it's literally right across the river, about 20min from where we lived at the time. Despite not having any snow on my lawn I was really surprised by just how much snow they had on their slopes. Over the past 9yrs I've been a season pass holder and visited many times each winter over the years since moving. Some years are better than others, but I can always count on being able to snowboard when they're open. It's the perfect place to keep your skills up and get outside and stay active in the winter time. The staff are always fantastic and nice. You can tell that they genuinely enjoy working there and love helping people get onto the slopes and have a good time. If you've got kids than it's really the perfect place to bring them to learn. My oldest son had never skied or snowboarded before. He learned everything he knows from skiing and riding at Mt. Crescent. The instructors were incredible and got him skiing AND snowboarding! After just a few lessons he was tearing it up! I brought him out all the time so he could keep improving. Now he's able to hang with me on the blacks in Colorado and will forever have those skills he learned right at Mt. Crescent. We decided to enroll my daughter into the devo program a few years ago and that was a great choice for her. She was able to go from barely being able to do a snowplow to confidently riding the chairlift on her own and skiing independently down the slopes! Not to mention she loved hanging with the other kids who were in her group each week. Total win, because then I could get some runs in while she was in classes each week. This isn't a Colorado resort, but for a place to ski and ride so close to Omaha it's amazing! Anyone who has a lifelong passion for snowsports knows that you get that itch when the cold weather comes each winter and you've gotta scratch it! At $199 for a season pass (they put them on sale each Fall) it's total no brainer! Especially since it's such a short drive over from Omaha. I'm already excited for next season and so are my kiddos!
5. Fun Valley Ski Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
