Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Afton Alps that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Afton Alps stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Afton Alps review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Afton Alps
Total (2.8)
A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
Afton is a small midwestern resort. It’s expensive since epic invested. But the snowmaking capabilities have been greatly improved in recent years. It’s fine if using an epic pass to stop in for 2 hours. But I would be upset if I paid 75$ a person for a full priced lift ticket.
Tracy Rudin
Not enough lifts open. Lines are way too long. Not enough chalets open to eat inside. As a 10 year pass holder, worst year yet in terms of experience. Not worth the cost. As a family of 5, we will not be renewing passes. Save money for trip out west
Susan Kuo
great resort
robert.willey.us
I know it's still early season, but 6" today and piles of man-made not spread around. Only 2 double lifts serving the non beginner areas. Disappointing.
Tom
I learned to ski here so I'm biased but I think Afton is great for what it is. It has a lot of runs and a gentle progression of difficulty across those runs, with small steps up in difficulty from a true bunny hill up to some black runs that would count as short but somewhat difficult blue runs out West. It's a great place to learn, and the relatively large number an wide variety of runs continues to keep it interesting. They can't do much with their lack of vertical, and they're kind of expensive. They have lots of lifts and on busy days that helps some, but the slopes do get crowded, and it can be hard to get down a hill that's jammed with falling skiers and snowboarders.
Cobe
It's great because it's part of the Vail Family. They want you to buy an Epic pass, however - it's busy because of the Vail Family. I still go, and will continue to go as an Epic pass holder. If you want locally owned, and cheaper, check out Troll/Welch/Wild. However the investments from Vail are huge on the hill. The snowmaking is far above any other resort, and the # of terrain parks is huge. I'm not a park rider, but appreciate having that many, as it keeps a lot of the kids/young adults in there. So that's a huge benefit for the others.
Jo Hlbrk
Too many people and Terrain parks. Do not recommend. Go to Welch Village instead for longer runs. It’s like 10 mins further from the Twin Cities
Pat
I showed up after work to snowboard after a 10 inch snow day and they closed early. Traditionally open until 930 they were closed by 7.
Triston Schmalzbauer
I go to Afton Alps nearly every week through my high school, so I see it in lots of different lights. First off I'll say that the chalets are just fine for the smaller resort Afton is, especially having two which is very convenient. The lifts and the lines are manageable for all but the busiest of days, I have no qualms there. However, the conditions they have their slopes is alarming at times and rarely above decent. I will give credit where credit is due with Afton having a plethora of snow making equipment nearly or completely covering the slopes. The problem is the grooming and upkeep. A couple times I've went their and the runs were nearly completely iced over, and later in the year they have a lake at the bottom of one of their busiest runs. Also, there seems like nearly every other week half the runs aren't even touched. If they can up their run quality they could be a very good resort for the Twin Cities area.
I know skiing in the midwest is a joke but this place really takes it the extra mile, especially since Vail took over. They apparently will not make snow after the holidays so during a bad year like 2016/2017 the conditions become atrocious rapidly and stay that way. Since Vail bought the place the on-hill experience has gone down as fast as the prices have gone up. Rock hard "snow" and grooming apparently done with a moldboard plow. I advise forgetting Afton and going to Welch instead. Welch is still in the midwest but the skiing experience is much better than at Afton.
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