Rib Mountain, also known as Rib Hill, is a glacially-eroded

monadnock An inselberg or monadnock () is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. In Southern Africa a similar formation of granite is known as a koppie, a ...

in central

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, located in the Town of Rib Mountain in Marathon County. Composed of

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...

covered with a softer

syenite Syenite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock with a general composition similar to that of granite, but deficient in quartz, which, if present at all, occurs in relatively small concentrations (< 5%). Some syenites contain larger proport ...

sheath, it was intruded about 1.5 billion years ago. Rib Mountain is near Wausau on the west side of the

Wisconsin River The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At approximately 430 miles (692 km) long, it is the state's longest river. The river's name, first recorded in 1673 by Jacques Marquette as "Meskousi ...

, just west of

Interstate 39 Interstate 39 (I-39) is a highway in the Midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois, at I-55 to State Trunk Highway 29 (WIS 29) in the town of Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, which is approximately south of Wausau. I- ...

and just south of Highway 29. The nearby Wausau Downtown Airport at an elevation of , is located to the east. Rib Mountain is almost long and peaks at above sea level and above the local terrain, making it the point with the greatest difference in height from peak to surrounding terrain in the state of

. The Rib River and Little Rib River are nearby. Rib Mountain is home to the

Rib Mountain State Park Rib Mountain State Park is a Wisconsin state park near the city of Wausau. The park includes a ski resort, Granite Peak Ski Area, concession stand, picnic areas, a reservable amphitheater, a former quarry, observation tower, and 15.1 miles of ...

and the

Granite Peak Ski Area Granite Peak Ski Resort is a ski area located in Rib Mountain State Park in the Town of Rib Mountain, Marathon County, Wisconsin, south of Wausau. It features 58 runs and 4 terrain parks as of 2022 and boasts a vertical drop of . Granite Peak is ...

. The peak is also the site of transmitters for radio and TV stations in the Wausau area, and is the namesake for

Wisconsin Public Television PBS Wisconsin (formerly Wisconsin Public Television or WPT) is a state network of non-commercial educational television stations operated primarily by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. It c ...

's WHRM-TV (Channel 20) and

WHRM-FM WHRM (90.9 FM) is a radio station licensed to Wausau, Wisconsin, serving the Wausau/Stevens Point area. The station is part of Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), and airs WPR's "NPR News and Classical Network", consisting of classical music and news ...

(90.9),

Wisconsin Public Radio Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) is a network of 34 public radio stations in the state of Wisconsin. WPR's network is divided into two distinct analog services, the ''Ideas Network'' and the ''NPR News & Music Network,'' as well as the ''All Classi ...

's news and classical network station for the area. It also makes room for the transmitter at the top for

WDEZ WDEZ (101.9 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Wausau, Wisconsin, United States, the station serves the Wausau-Stevens Point area. The station is currently owned by Midwest Communications. The station is al ...

. Local legend states that the "ribs" in Rib Mountain denote that it is the burial site of

Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox. The character originated in the or ...

. The nearby Mosinee Hill is said to be the grave of

Babe the Blue Ox Babe or babes may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People Nickname * Babe Adams (1882–1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Babe Barna (1917–1972), American Major ...

. When the ski area opened on the slopes of Rib Mountain in 1937, it was one of the first ski areas in North America. Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont had opened a few years earlier in 1934. Sun Valley in Idaho had become the nation's first ski area in the western states in 1936.

References

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External links

Rib Mountain State Park

Friends of Rib Mountain State Park

Hills of Wisconsin Inselbergs of North America Landforms of Marathon County, Wisconsin Mountains of Wisconsin