Safety
Michigan Mountain Safety Center
Ski Smart. Ride Smart. Enjoy Michigan.
A great day on snow starts with preparation, awareness and respect. Explore essential guidance for first-timers, families and experienced skiers and riders.
National guidance credited to SkiSafety.US and the National Ski Areas Association.
Start Here
Build a safer day on the slopes
These short introductions are original MSIA summaries. Each card links directly to the complete national resource.
Your Responsibility Code
Know the principles that guide control, right-of-way, signs, closures, lift use and conduct after an incident.
Read the CodeKnow Before You Go
Prepare clothing, equipment, lessons, trail-map knowledge and realistic expectations before arriving.
Prepare for your visitLift Safety
Stay organized, watch the chair, sit fully back, follow signs and ask an attendant whenever assistance would help.
Explore lift safetyHelmet Safety
Use a properly fitted snow-sports helmet, fasten the chin strap and remember that no helmet prevents every injury.
Review helmet guidanceCollision Prevention
Be ready, stay alert and plan ahead. Manage speed, space and blind spots so everyone has room to enjoy the hill.
Ride another dayTerrain Park Safety
Inspect features, start small, progress deliberately, respect closures and avoid stopping in takeoffs or landings.
Be Park SMARTCollision Prevention
Be ready. Stay alert. Plan ahead.
Give other guests space, slow down where visibility is limited, look uphill before merging and stay within your ability to stop or avoid people and objects.
Trail Sign Guide
Choose terrain that fits your ability
Ratings are relative within each ski area. Check the local trail map and ask an employee when you are uncertain.
Trail-symbol guidance: SkiSafety.US — Know Before You Go.
Interactive Checklist
Before you leave home
Check items as you prepare. Your selections remain in this browser.
First-Timers & Families
Make the first experience positive
Begin with a professional lesson
Lessons help new skiers and snowboarders learn equipment basics, stopping, turning, trail etiquette and lift procedures in an appropriate learning area.
Explore beginner opportunitiesPlan for children
- Use warm, waterproof layers and label equipment.
- Agree on a meeting place and keep contact information secured.
- Take warming, food and hydration breaks before children become exhausted.
- Ask lift attendants for help and follow each area's child-loading guidance.
Made for Michigan
Prepare for Great Lakes winter conditions
Michigan skiing can include lake-effect snowfall, fast weather changes, wind, night operations and freeze-thaw cycles. Conditions may vary during the same day.
Changing surfaces
Groomed snow, fresh snow and firmer areas can occur on the same trail. Adjust speed and turn shape as the surface changes.
Night skiing
Visibility and temperature often change after sunset. Use appropriate eyewear, add layers and stay especially attentive at merges.
Cold preparedness
Cover exposed skin, watch for numbness, stay hydrated and take indoor breaks. Children may become cold before they say so.
Winter walking
Parking lots, walkways and base areas may be icy. Wear footwear with traction, carry manageable loads and move carefully.
When Help Is Needed
Contact Ski Patrol or a ski-area employee
If you witness an incident, alert an employee and identify the trail, nearest lift, intersection or landmark. Protect the area from uphill traffic only when you can do so without placing yourself in danger.
After a collision or incident
Remain at the scene when safe, request assistance and exchange contact information with the other person and a ski-area employee. Do not move an injured person unless immediate danger makes it necessary.
Michigan-Specific Information
Shared responsibility at Michigan ski areas
Guests should obey signs, warnings, ropes, closures and lift instructions, and should choose terrain appropriate for their ability. Ski-area operations and participant responsibilities are also addressed by Michigan law.
This overview is educational and is not legal advice. Always follow the instructions and posted policies of the ski area you are visiting.
Continue Learning
Use the official national safety resources
This Michigan Safety Center supplements—not replaces—the complete educational materials maintained by NSAA.
The Michigan Snowsports Industries Association gratefully acknowledges and credits SkiSafety.US and the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) for their leadership and nationally recognized skier and rider safety education. External resources remain the property of their respective owners.