Out in the Clark County Forest, a hill rises about 375 feet above the surrounding woods, and on winter weekends its slopes are lit up and full of families. Bruce Mound is the county's own ski area, and it is a small, cheap, honest hill: five lifts, ten tubing lanes, night skiing on Fridays, a chalet with a kitchen, and lift tickets priced for people who live around here.
It is about 12 miles southwest of downtown Neillsville, and if you are coming for a weekend of skiing or tubing in central Wisconsin, this is what to know before you go.
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What Bruce Mound is
One thing confuses visitors. The mailing address is N791 Bruce Mound Avenue, Merrillan, because the post office that serves the area sits in the next county south. The hill itself is in Clark County, and the county runs it from Neillsville.
The hill: runs, lifts and vertical
The numbers, from the county and from OnTheSnow:
375 feet of vertical, from a base around 1,000 feet to a summit around 1,375. Ten slopes, which work out to about a dozen named runs, across roughly 40 skiable acres. Five lifts, including one triple chair. The longest run is about 3,000 feet, and six trails are rated expert.
Snowmaking covers the hill and the runs are groomed, which matters in the winters when natural snow arrives late.
That is a modest hill by Rocky Mountain standards and a respectable one for central Wisconsin. Strong skiers will know every run by lunchtime, and the six expert trails are where they spend the rest of the day. Beginners get the trails for all skill levels the county advertises, plus a ski school priced for families.
Snow tubing
Tubing is a big part of why families come. There are ten tubing lanes with a conveyor lift that carries you and the tube back to the top, so nobody spends the afternoon trudging uphill. It is the easiest way to get a mixed group, from toddlers to grandparents, all doing the same thing on the same hill.
Tubing rates and session details are on the county's rates page, alongside lift tickets.
Hours, season and night skiing
Bruce Mound runs a short weekly schedule. In a typical season the hill is open Friday evenings from 5 to 10 under the lights, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. Holiday hours change year to year, so check the county calendar.
The season usually opens in December, once snowmaking has a base down, and runs until the late-winter thaw. OnTheSnow counts about 42 operating days in an average season. The hill also closes on days when the wind chill is dangerous, which in this part of Wisconsin is a real consideration in January.
Before you drive out, check the Bruce Mound page on the Clark County website, its Facebook page, or Travel Wisconsin's downhill ski report, all of which carry current conditions. Neillsville gets about 44 inches of snow in an average year, most of it from December to February, so natural snow helps, but the season leans on snowmaking.
Tickets, passes, rentals and lessons
Rates are set by the county, which describes them as reasonable for a family on a budget, and they are published every season on its Bruce Mound tickets page, with separate pages for daily tickets, season passes and equipment rentals. Season passes can be bought online. For the 2026 to 2027 season, Bruce Mound is also on the Indy Pass, the network of independent ski areas, so Indy Pass holders can ski here as part of their pass.
The rental shop at the base outfits skiers and snowboarders, and the ski school runs lessons for first-timers. School groups book visits through the county, and a ski patrol covers the hill.
A Bruce Mound day, start to finish
On a Saturday, aim to arrive when the doors open at 10. Sort rentals and lift tickets first, and book a lesson for anyone who has not skied before so they spend the morning learning rather than falling.
Eat in the chalet around noon. In the afternoon, split the group: confident skiers take the triple to the expert runs, and everyone else heads to the tubing lanes, where the conveyor lift means even small children can do run after run without help. The hill closes at 4, which leaves time to drive back to town for a fish fry or a supper club dinner.
The Friday night session is a different kind of trip. From 5 to 10 the trails are lit, and it suits anyone staying in Neillsville who wants a few hours on snow after a day of driving.
What to bring
Dress for a Wisconsin winter, because the coldest days here drop well below zero. Layers, a helmet, goggles and hand warmers make the difference between a full day and a short one.
Bring cash or a card for the chalet, a spare pair of gloves for the tubing lanes, and a phone charged enough to check conditions before you leave town. On bright days, sunscreen and sunglasses help too, because the glare off fresh snow is strong.
The chalet
The chalet at the base has its own restaurant. Carry-in food is not allowed, so leave the cooler in the car or plan to eat in.
In spring, summer and fall the chalet is rented out for weddings, family reunions, graduation parties and company picnics. Call the county parks office at 715-743-5140 to book it.
King of the Mound and other events
Each February the hill hosts the King of the Mound race. Watch the Bruce Mound Facebook page and the Neillsville Events tab for the date and for anything else on the season's calendar.
Getting there
Bruce Mound is about 12.2 miles southwest of downtown Neillsville in a straight line, in the southwest corner of Clark County. You reach it on county roads through the forest to Bruce Mound Avenue. These are rural roads, so allow extra time when it is snowing.
From the hill, the Levis/Trow Mounds trailhead is about 3.3 miles away and the Riviera resort about 5 miles, both in a straight line. If you are coming from the I-94 side, the hill is closer to the interstate exits at Black River Falls and Osseo than downtown Neillsville is, which makes it an easy day trip from Eau Claire.
Out of season: Levis Mound next door
So the forest works year-round: ski or tube at Bruce Mound in January, and come back in June to ride the singletrack at Levis Mound, or do both in one winter weekend if you have a fat bike or skinny skis.
Where to stay and eat
The resort’s own bar and grill does burgers, pizza and handhelds, and it makes an easy dinner after the hill closes.
Back in town, the indoor pool at the Super 8 on East Division Street is worth knowing about when the children still have energy after a day in the snow, and you can eat anything from eggs at 6 in the morning to prime rib at the town’s breakfast counters and supper clubs.
The rest of the winter weekend is easy to fill with the rest of Neillsville’s sights, including the Highground memorial and the Winter Carnival in late February.
Frequently asked questions
Published September 14, 2026
