The Summit Food & Spirits

We stopped for the views, the slopes looked perfect. Lots of families kids and excitement

Have not stayed here but visited during Summer for the adventure and sports. The Alpine ride was fun for kids and adults. Eagle has a terrific view of the river and plains, was fun after we got off. Bike riders had an enjoyable time. They have a great ski slope, may have to visit during Winter to experience it.

I didn’t stay here, this was just a day trip in Galena, but I did try the attractions, and they were great! There are amazing views of the Mississippi River and Iowa, on the alpine slide especially, it’s very thrilling! If you’re visiting around Galena, I would go over to this resort!

We were at Chestnut Mountain Resort for an afternoon to watch our son ski while we hung out in their restaurant. Our time there was great with fantastic views of the mountain to watch those skiing. While there we shared a large platter of the Steak Nachos which were crisp, fresh and the steak was a tasty touch. Also had a spicy but not too hot Bloody Mary which was fantastic with a lager chaser. Perfect combination. We did not stay at the resort but looked like a great place to in future. We are not skiers ourselves but really enjoyed watching and had a perfect place to watch. Friendly service and comfortable restaurant. Looks like they offer more than skiing during the summer months. Definitely a place to check out if you’re in the Galena area.

Great ski resort! The dining is west facing, great for sunset dinners.

We did the Segway tour with Jake. He was very knowledgeable and cared for our groups safety. He was quick with the jokes and quick to do anything we needed. 10/10 recommend!

I spent a lovely afternoon and evening in the restaurant and bar while my partner skied. The bartender (Laurie) was so attentive, kind and welcoming! She always made sure I had everything I needed. The drinks and food were great, too! My partner also mentioned the staff on the slopes were amazing and super friendly. We can’t wait to go back!

This is part of the alpine, zip line, mountain bike trail, Segway tour, boat tours, mini golf... Omg so much to do. Our room was pet friendly. Loved 😍 this place. Already booked our next visit. Great for the whole family. Dinning was classy food supurb!! Can't say enough about this place.

We visited this place for only activities they provide and it was amazing. we had really good experience enjoying the gandola ride. unfortunately as it was very crowded we could not do egle ride but apart from that it was fund.

Chestnut Mountain Resort is a hidden gem in the Midwest, especially for winter sports lovers. The slopes are well-groomed, with a good variety of runs for beginners to intermediate skiers and snowboarders. The views overlooking the Mississippi River are absolutely stunning — one of the most unique features of the resort. In the summer, the resort transforms with fun activities like alpine slides, mini-golf, and ziplining — making it a great year-round destination. Whether you’re planning a family trip or a weekend getaway, Chestnut Mountain is definitely worth the visit!

Good skiing. Nice lodges. Friendly staff. Awesome views

I chose this spot to learn skiing, and I’m really glad I did. From a beginner’s perspective, it’s located in this charming little town called Galena, which is perfect for someone new to skiing. I bought a three-day pass, but I missed one day because they closed early due to crazy weather—it was freezing out at -15F! They were super nice and even extended my pass for an extra day, which really shows how hospitable they are. Also, I grabbed a grilled chicken sandwich at their restaurant, and I’ve got to say, it hit the spot. I was smiling after that meal—it was really good!

Beautiful ski resort in both Spring and Winter. Glorious views across the state(s) and lovely sit down area. Hotel isn't new and flaws can be covered up by snow, although still worth it overall.

The views were beautiful! Lots to do, we enjoyed the alpine slide and ski lift. We had dinner on the balcony to watch the sunset, and the food was great. We'll be back!

Beautiful resort that is well run. Took only 30 minutes to pick up lift tickets, rentals and be at the lift. The runs are longer than those on the border with Wisconsin and scenic with all the runs heading down to the Mississippi River. Another huge plus was the free EV charging on site. I counted 3 plus a NEMA plug. I was the only EV charging over a weekend. Rooms are dated and could use a refresh but all in all a wonderful visit.

We went to try the famous alpine slide and it is awesome!! You have to try the restaurant also, the pizza is great! my wife and I stayed until the sunset and the place is really comfortable and clean.

We signed up our four year old for her first ski lesson and I can’t compliment the staff enough. They treated her like she was their own! Patient, kind and fun! Plus hot chocolate afterwards. Highly recommend for first time skiiers!

Been here a few times and it’s always a fun trip. Great views of the Mississippi River, well kept runs, and a good mix for different skill levels. Very family friendly.

Room was small but clean so was the bathroom. Beautiful location. Everyone was helpful and nice. Only thing off was not much to watch they had HBO but not much of the other channels. But your supposed to be outside enjoying your selves.

Tons of equipment, very helpful and nice staff. Perfect place to take small children and adults to teach if you have been skiing for a very long time.

Very clean room & pool area, friendly staff & well laid out floor plan. The river cruise was fun. Didn’t get to try the alpine slide but will do that next trip!

Great place to stay and ski. Hotel reminds me of hot tub time machine in a great way. Nostalgic 80s ski resort vibe.

Pleasantly surprised by how lovely this ski resort is. Super friendly employees. Extended our stay by 2 nights!

Been coming here 40 years. I am 53 now. You cannot beat the views. Staff is friendly and helpful. The place smells the same as when I was a kid, and memories abound. The alpine slide still rocks. The pool is clean, water is perfect temp. Eagles Flight "zipline" is a nice addition! Food is a good value and convenient, ample parking. I would like to come back and try the segways. Beware - no elevators, so if mobility issues, make sure to get a ground floor room.

We spent the day on the fourth of July. Had a great time. Alpine slide is a blast. The soaring eagle was a lot of fun, great view of the Mississippi river and rolling hills. The mini golf is just like I remember when I was a kid. Can't wait to go back and ride the mountain bike trails. Didn't have time to check out the frisbee golf. We did check out the restaurant. Good food and service. Can't wait to come back and ski...

Skiing facilities were great, private and group ski lessons were good, skill level options, accommodating to ski equipment needs

On any given day in the winter you can have a great time skiing at Chestnut Mountain. Its not big or back, but its close and has a great atmosphere on the slopes and in the bar. There is some steeper stuff but come here if you are into doing laps on groomers and you dont like to drive 8 hours to get to better snow. Its a bit posh compared to Indy ski resorts further north, so prepare to spend a bit more here. This season the vibe was high, sunny cold days kept tge runs fast, and it looked like everyone was having a good time.

I had an amazing stay! The customer service when checking in was great. Donna was so nice, sweet, and accommodating. She seemed to really enjoy her job and it shows through her smile! Donna was super knowledgeable and helpful even telling us that late at night deer are out so be careful going to town. She is just the best 😊

My kids and I really enjoy skiing here. Have some good beginner hills and some decent intermediate hills. I do get rentals for the kids as they grow like weeds. And I do have to say the guy setting up our skis was not the friendliest. My wife and I also had to wait over 10 minutes at the Bart to get a drink and no, it was absolutely not busy. Maybe eight people at the bar. We ended up having to ask the bartender if we could get a drink. They could definitely use some customer facing training.

First trip to Galena end of September. Didn’t realize that the hotel was a bit further out from the main downtown restaurants and shops. Overall a good experience, hotels is a bit dated in some areas but some of the rooms are a bit updated. No elevator in the hotel and WiFi and phone service were a bit shotty. Beautifully decorated for fall. Great views, lots to do at the hotel

Fun stop on our family vacation (did not stay at the hotel). Went about an hour after open and the place was a ghost town which was nice, no lines. Staff consisted of most teenagers, but were pleasant. Very clean and well taken care of and likely a great ski area. The alpine slide was fun, $10/person seemed a bit high for a single ride, but also included ski lift back. We were bummed the mini golf course wasn't available while we were there.

2 hours from Chicago or nearest suburbs. Alpine slide, soaring eagle and golfing are some activities we tried, worth the money and time spent. We’d recommend this place to anyone. Don’t forget that there is a great restaurant also attached for lunch or dinner.

fantastic service, lots of little activities and a great view. Nice for visiting Galena or hanging out at the resort. the only downside is the dated rooms and the shower and sink water smelling strongly of sulfur.

Very nice stay. It is an older hotel, but with that in mind, the room was nice enough and very comfortable. The service was spectacular, and the property is magnificent. Fantastic views of the river and surrounding bluffs and a welcomed feeling of seclusion even though it's only a short drive to Galena. Lots to do right on the property year round and lots more within a short drive in any direction.

Very nice ski resort with great bar/restaurant.. We rented a house about 20 minutes away from the slopes...

Didn't stay but went to meet people who did. Had breakfast there, buffet style. Not to bad. Service was really good and friendly.

I have been a frequent visitor to Chestnut mountain resort. The location is 5+ star. Rooms are dated but functional, can’t complain much because they are priced right. The kids play room needs a massive overhaul. The food at the Summit restaurant is pretty average. Overall the location and some adventure and kid activities make this place worth staying.

Coming all the way from Chicago which is almost a 3 hour trip, I got my hopes up considering the long drive and I was somewhat disappointed. The rides were on the expensive side. Almost 90 for 3 rides and they were short rides. I wouldn’t recommend if someone is coming from Chicago. I would find somewhere close to go. The ride home was worse than the trip going there 🥲

A pretty solid selection of slopes here. The most amazing thing about this place is the amazing views. It is absolutely fantastic. Actually, let me continue this review since this was not my full experience. I gave this place initially a 5 star review for several reasons. One thing though went terribly wrong here which I was not expecting. On our last day of stay the actually closed down some of the slopes my kids got to practice on ( not fully closed, but partially enough that they were not able to go down anymore). They close the sections for a planned event that we were not aware of when we first got our tickets. So, from a full.day of ski we only really skied 2 hours until they closed down the slopes. I though as a reasonable guy I'd ask for a refund for the skies and rentals for my family not for a full day but for a half since we still used the slopes and the equipment that day. I was met with a complete refusal, saying that we can still go down on the slopes since they werepartially opened. Well if all the green slopes were taken half of the space and my kids were not great enough to do quick turns, I assumed it was safer for us to leave than trying to go down and have the possibility of plowing down their setup, if my kids couldn't turn fast enough. I would say that maybe the policy there really sucks in regards to their refunds and maybe the guy couldn't offer more than the $25 gift cared he wanted to offer. I said don't worry about it, because I'm a guy of the principle of fairness. That was not what happened here ,and this is why this somehow bad review. To bad that reputation is not kept because of easily fixable mistakes. Needless to say they lost a customer for right now at least in the rental department. I will get my own skies (BTW I paid for the full rental gear, but the only thing I needed was the skies) next time and won't ever look back at this. It's crazy. We rented from them for 3 consecutive days for 4 people. I will recommend this place to my friends, but I would highly suggest get some skies from friends or at least buy a pair on marketplace before renting out there.

The people that work there were friendly. The restaurant food was good. The view from our room was amazing!! The resort has problems with its room. They are showing soo much wear. Furniture is in poor condition. Just old and worn out. The carpet needs replaced and the bathtub and surround is peeling, the countertop was chipped. The sinks and toilet were extremely low, which is hard on tall people.

Chestnut Mountain Resort is ok for a small weekend stop over. The one resturaunt needs a family section to reduce the noise in the main dining room. The location has no elevators or ramps so wheelchair access is very limited. Maître d' sat a large family right next to our table. We could not longer have a conversation, the children were hitting our chairs and when Sister moved they got underfoot and tripped her up. Limited access for the aged, we are in the 60s though it's nice to move around the 4 flights of stairs limited us to room activities once we got upstairs. Staff on desk were responsive but the promised a 20% reduction for Sunday to Monday night. They did not honor this or spell it out on the receipts. Said was our online booking but we reserved on the phone not online. SO DONT BELIEVE WHEN THEY PROMISE A DISCOUNT. Not a reason not to come just disappointing. The location to Galena was excellent for visiting.

If you enjoy skiing in the darkness then this is the place for you. I'm not sure why half the lights were off or if this is typical but some parts of the runs are completely dark. This should be reported as it's extremely dangerous. Even the parking lot was dark.

Our family travels extensively both domestically and abroad. We have NEVER been treated so TERRIBLY! We came for a getaway on Christmas Day. The hotel seems dated, smelly and poorly maintained …but whatever…the front desk staff was nice enough until I asked if there was a sledding slope for the kids…She promptly exclaimed that sleds were FORBIDDEN on the property - that would have been fine, but then we said that we would just leave them in the car. She said she needed to put a sticker on the sleds because we might ‘sneak them in to use’ after we said we would just leave them in the car, then she threatened to need to call security on us for not bringing the sleds to the lobby from INSIDE OUR OWN CAR so she could label them as a violation!!! When my wife reacted, the receptionist said she was ‘sorry’ that my wife ‘felt’ accused (like it was OUR fault when she blatantly was implying that we were lying). It was the ultimate gaslighting. We booked another hotel. It was so horrible to be greeted in such a manner on Christmas … we could understand that one person could be having a bad day … but two other staff were there and did NOTHING. When we entered the hotel again to tell them we were going the other lady only said ‘ok’ with a big attitude. No apology, no nothing…terrible that my daughters also had to be subjected to this terrible experience on Christmas Day. I doubt they care: we told them we would write a negative review, they just said ‘fine’. We went to the nearby Wyndham…soooo much better (especially in comparison)…polite staff, clean and bright atmosphere.

My girlfriend and I went to Chestnut mountain for New Years. She got hurt at the end of our first day. Thankfully we were lodging there and could get some rest that night. The next morning she couldn’t walk so I went down to the restaurant and asked to bring a plate of eggs up to her. I was told no. I offered to pay extra, not do the buffet, order a meal, etc. I feel like there should be some flexibility on that. I was just told to wait until lunch opened which was in a couple hours. Not the service I expect.

We booked 2 rooms, we got put in pet section rooms, where people with pets get placed. Rooms very run down & both rooms stink. Worst part the water. Horrible just horrible smell. We had to open windows to get the smell out. Couldn't stand to take a shower 2nd day couldn't take my body smelling like that again. We all complained. No discount, nothing. We will not be back, nor recommend to anyone coming to town.

We booked one night here to stay on our way home from South Dakota. The idea was that we could stay and explore Galena the next morning before we started the smaller half of our drive home. We arrived at the resort late around 10:00 pm and the front desk people were nice and accommodating and that’s about where anything good ends. Firstly, there is no elevator. After 11 hours on the road, we had to carry all our luggage up 4 flights of stairs. The room was gross. We have stayed in some pretty dank places and still I have never had an experience like ours and didn’t expect to booking at a “resort”. From first glance, everything is dated which isn’t really a problem, the problem is that everything is dirty. There were hairs all over the floor of the shower and once it was turned on, the water reeked like sewage. The smell of the water was so concerning that we used bottled water to brush our teeth with. The bed had this weird scratchy blanket underneath two flat sheets and while trying to figure out which sheets to sleep under/on, we found plenty more hair and dead bugs caught underneath the sheets. The sheets had stains on them, my husband’s pillow had what looked like a blood stain on it, and the pillows inside the pillow cases were sweat stained and filled with loose stuffing, I’m sure they haven’t been replaced for decades. In fact, it didn’t look like anything had been replaced for decades - cracked tiles in the bathroom, faucets missing pieces, the shower drain was clogged, everything looks like it’s in a time capsule from the 70’s. By the time we went to bed, we were praying we didn’t get bedbug bites like some other reviews mentioned. We would have packed it up to stay somewhere else but we were all so exhausted, it was midnight at this point with a toddler who was ready for bed after being on the road all day. Then at 5 am, we were woken up from our fire alarm going off. Our entire room smells of burnt hair and we found the cause to be that our heat had kicked on and the filter was FULL of dirt/dust. We called down to the front desk to make sure it was just our room and the attendants response was, “Oh, they must have not cleaned the filter out properly.” They didn’t clean it out, period, and it didn’t look like it had been cleaned for a very long time. By that point, we were so fed up that we packed up our stuff. We scratched our plans to explore Galena at all and started on our drive home on 5 hours of sleep. Before we left, we went down to the front desk to inquire about a partial refund and was given their chief financial officers business card, Jean Ann Flynn. There is no general manager card or anyone else to reach out to with problems. We are very familiar with business practices and chain of command, it seems strange that the CFO’s card is being given out first and that they cannot be reached 24/7. I wonder, if the place was burning down as it very well could have, how would anyone be able to be notified? We are still waiting for a response, I will update my review once we hear back. Overall, a terrible experience, perhaps quite the worst hotel experience we have ever had and we have stayed at countless. We would have had a better chance staying at the local Super 8. Do not stay here. ** Update as of 09/27 ** There is, in fact, a manager as we got into contact with her. She did correctly state that it mentions in the details that their resort does not have elevators so that is something we could have been aware of, we just didn’t think to look for that information. She did offer us a full refund for our bad experience and we have received it! So I can say that our experience with staff and resolving an issue went pretty smooth! Thank you!

We just found out that Chestnut has decided to blackout Indy pass dates well after people purchased passes and made plans based on the dates listed when passes went on sale. Families buy passes and plan Indy Pass vacations well in advance, and those families are now left scrambling deciding if they need to cancel their Indy Pass and switch to another pass, but prices have already gone up for competitors. Buyer beware of the bait and switch.