“We should stop here in autumn,” I’d say every time we drove by Rib Mountain.
Finally, last October, we actually did it — and it turns out the experience is as wonderful as the hill’s history is interesting.
Located within Rib Mountain State Park in Wausau, Rib Mountain is not the highest point in Wisconsin (that would be Timm’s Hill in Price County), but considered the tallest hill in the state, at 1,227 feet tall and rising roughly 700 feet above the land surrounding it.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the mountain’s name comes from the Ojibwe word O-pic-wun-a-se-be, the first part of which means “rib.” A four-mile-long ridge of hard metamorphic rock called quartzite dating back about 1.7 million years, the mountain is one of the oldest geological features on earth!
After being used to manufacture sandpaper and abrasives in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the mountain was designated a state park in 1927. A decade later, a ski area was built. One of the first in the country, it has grown significantly since Granite Peak took over operations in 2000; the ski and snowboard resort now has more than seventy runs and seven chairlifts on the north face of the mountain.
Each year before the ski season begins, Granite Peak offers scenic chairlift rides up the mountain, giving riders panoramic views of the Wausau area filled with fall color. (This year, rides are offered Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through October 17.)
But Rib Mountain State Park is open year-round and very much worth a visit in fall!
I knew the views from the top of the 1,528-acre park would be amazing — and they are — but I didn’t expect how beautiful the drive up would be.
The road in winds up the mountain for nearly three miles, with an asphalt walking path alongside it. Trees in dazzling shades of yellow surrounded our car and the groups hiking in.
At the top of the hill, adjacent to the parking lot is a lookout spot with breathtaking views. Picnic tables and an outdoor amphitheater with rows of seats provide convenient places to sit and take in the vista.
If you continue walking or driving to the next parking area, you can check out more views or hop on a trail. Nine different trails range from a quarter mile to 3.79 miles; most are quite short but several connect, so you could build your own longer route.
Or opt for the longest and most demanding trail, the Yellow Trail, which runs down the south slope of the mountain through a mature maple forest, and back up.
Our first trip to Rib Mountain was a quick one, simply driving around and admiring the views. But now, whenever we pass the hill, I’ll be sure to say that we should return in autumn for a day of hiking, picnicking and soaking up those vibrant views.
– Katie Vaughn
Photos by Katie Vaughn.
Katie Vaughn is the editor and co-founder of Northerly. She is a University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stanford University-trained journalist with experience as a writer, reporter, editor, blogger and author. She lives in Madison with her husband, daughter and son, and is always up for an adventure.