mount kato

Mt. Kato is located off of hwy 90. It's a typical small "Midwestern" ski area. They have excellent kids lessons on the weekend and you'll be amazed that your kid can ski after one full day of lessons under the "Kato Kids" ski program. The staff is friendly and and it's a very safe place for your kids to go skiing by themselves (I would say ages 10 and up.) If you live in the area, a season pass gives you the best value for your money. Watch for the ski swap sale around Halloween to get great prices on new and used equipment.

If it's your family's first time on a ski slope, this is a great place to learn. Wonderful instructors and helpful attendants in the rental shop. Nice beginner runs.Eating in the lodge is expensive. You can bring your own food and eat in indoor picnic area.

There are some great reviews here and the only thing I would like to add is that the trails are really very short and there is a drastic difference between Green (easy) slopes and Blue (more difficult).Also, the rental snowboards are not like the boards with regular binding but they the boots snap to the board in an odd way (kind of like ski boots snap into skis). So, this snapping and unsnapping can be really frustrating.The cafeteria only has burgers and fries and the quality is not so good. I'd highly recommend taking sandwiches with you instead of getting their food.

This was so much fun. I didn't know how to ski but they had lessons and I turned out to be pretty good. It certainly is a place for beginners (but for me that was just fine.) We stayed about 1:00 pm to about 11:00 pm. I will try to return this winter.

Mount Kato is a small ski hill with the big advantage of being lit till closing at 10:30pm or so. It lies on the southwest edge of Mankato. As soon as it is cold enough the hill starts making its own snow. It is a great beginner hill with lessons and rentals if needed. The city ski team practices there and they have some challenging hills, too. Tubing is also available. They have a ski lodge with a cafeteria and warming areas. For the adults they have a chalet with bar and grill and a view of the hill. They sometimes have bands on the weekends. Season passes are available. In the summer they have mountain biking trails and other events connected with biking. The Red Jacket Trail for biking passses by Mount Kato.

In CO this place would get 2/5 but for southern MN it gets 5/5. Employees are friendly, trails are well kept, there's a nice variety of options and the chair lifts are well placed. It's relatively small but it's the best around and better than most ski areas in the twin cities.I've never been there for biking in the summer but I've heard many locals like it.

The runs were well groomed and the Snow was great. The people were really friendly and the food was good but service was extremely slow in the bar

It's obviously not the mountains (this is Minnesota, afterall), but it's where I learned a few years back and I enjoy going for a few hours. I'm not much of an avid skiier, though. My husband (who loves to ski) enjoys it, although he'd certainly prefer the mountains.

Good place for beginners and really no other options inthe area anyway. Expensive compared to out west. Often not all the ski lifts are going so even if all the runs have snow, you wont be able to go on all of them

It's not Telluride but for this part of Minnesota Mount Kato is the largest slope you will go down come winter. Several different slopes are avilable pending your expertise, and there is also a nice intertube sledding area. Don't own equipment?...no problem. They have everything for rent from boards, boots, ski, etc. If you get chilly there is also a simple snack shack. Come for the day or an evening ski event. Dress warmly and be prepared to have fond memories with family and new found friends.

My whole family truely loved it. An easy drive no it isb't out west but can still be a challenge. We tailgated to save on money they had no problem with it.

Hey ok it’s not Vail! We are in Minnesota the prairie lands remember. We are so fortunate to have this great recreation area so close by to get out skiing, boarding, eating drink and being merry! Could it be better sure, but what would we do if it were gone? Jeff and his crew have really tried hard to improve and I think they have!

It is a good size for for learning to skiers. Fun with lovely snacks.

Good skiing and snowboarding for the beginners. Experts would find it boring probably but if you like to ski you can get your skiing fix.

I love it here. Lots of runs. Staff can be disgruntled at times but if you ignore them you are in for a great day of skiing.