Caberfae Ski Resort

Snow trains brought hundreds of ski enthusiasts to the Cadillac area to celebrate the opening of Caberfae on January 16, 1938. Caberfae, whose name comes from the Gaelic word meaning “stag’s head,” was a joint project of the U.S. Forest Service, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Cadillac Chamber of Commerce, and local volunteers. They cooperated to build a winter sports facility that would provide more than the existing snow shoe trails to the public. The CCC cleared ski and toboggan runs, and built a shelter and access roads. Skiers made five dollar contributions and volunteers used the money to construct the first rope tow in 1940. By the 1950s Caberfae had become one of the Midwest’s largest ski resorts. Caberfae’s success encouraged further growth of Michigan’s winter sports industry.