Perched on a long ridge overlooking busy I-90/I-94, Cascade is considered the top day trip area in the heartland. Chicago is three hours away, Milwaukee less than two, and Madison just a scant 30 minutes. Weekend crowds can be big, but the ski area is equipped to handle the crowds. With 10 lifts including a high-speed, detachable quad, they can move a lot of skiers uphill quickly. Cascade is a pure ski hill. The 460-foot ski hill offers 34 trails, 4 terrain parks and 2 halfpipes. Cascades bump runs are legendary. Theyll make you wish for a teenagers knees again. Mogul Monster, with Volkswagen-sized bumps, is open to expert skiers only. The ski area used to have a tough reputation, but over the years Cascade has added several new beginner and intermediate runs to help soften that image.