Ski areas were popping up everywhere in the 1970s and 80s as the popularity of skiing boomed, but just as quickly as they were being built, those same ski areas started to vanish. Some were eventually forgotten while others continue to plague the dreams of those who once skied the mountain or always wanted to. The readers of SnowBrains have spoken and in a poll, these are the seven ski areas they said they wish would reopen.
Ski Broadmoor, CO
A popular pick among the Colorado readers is Ski Broadmoor, Colorado Springs’ beloved ski area that operated from 1951 to 1991. With one double chair lift and a rope tow, Ski Broadmoor offered 600 vertical feet of skiing and four runs. The ski area sat at the base of Cheyenne Mountain and was operated by the iconic Broadmoor Hotel.
The small ski area pioneered the industry by deploying a snowmaking machine known as the “Phenomenal Snowman” that until then, had not been seen in the western half of the U.S.. Ski Broadmoor was also one of the first to have night skiing, and would typically keep the lifts spinning until 10 p.m.
Unfortunately, the low base elevation of 6,569 feet made consistent snowfall hard to come by. The Broadmoor Hotel felt the pressure to close operations, but instead leased it to the City of Colorado Springs in 1986. The city’s management quickly became a disaster as two city officials resigned due to allegedly being behind the unauthorized spending of hundreds of thousands of dollars on the ski area. In 1988, a deal was made with Vail to take over operations. Three years later, Vail cut its losses as they couldn’t turn a profit and left the neighborhood ski area to close.
Iron Mountain, CA (Silver Basin)
Near Tahoe’s legendary Kirkwood Mountain Resort is the corpse of Iron Mountain Ski Area, originally known as Silver Basin. As one of the first California ski areas to adopt snowboarders, Iron Mountain was a local favorite for a day on the slopes. From 1971 to 1995, Iron Mountain operated inconsistently as the ski area fought financial trouble, filed for bankruptcy multiple times, and was even closed for several seasons before closing for good in 1995.
When Iron Mountain managed to spin its lifts, the ski area boasted five lifts and offered a mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced terrain. The demise of Iron Mountain left many skiers wishing to return to the upside-down ski area.
Ski Rio, NM
83 runs, six lifts, 2,150 vertical feet of skiing, and 910 acres. Ski Rio in New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains was loaded with a great mix of terrain. Operating from 1982 to 2000, Ski Rio was born under the Rio Costilla Cooperative Livestock Association, which had the initial foresight for the resort.
Ski Rio developed quickly and by 1984, the ski area had installed its first triple chair lift. The ski area reached 910 acres at its peak in 1985, which was also the year Ski Rio filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Ski Rio managed to barely hang on for another nine years until the Huffine brothers bought Ski Rio, who also owned Cuchara Valley Ski Area at the time and another well-known abandoned ski area. The brothers’ first season was a train wreck, and the 1994-1995 season operated only 24 days.
The financial troubles spiraled out of control after the 1994-1995 season. The Huffine brothers sold to the JNC corporation, who couldn’t manage to turn the ski area’s luck around. Ski Rio held out until the turn of the millennium, and has not operated since 2000.
Mount Frontenac Ski Area, MN
Mount Frontenac Ski Area in Red Wing, Minnesota, was a local favorite with 330 acres of skiing and operated for 35 years. Mount Frontenac’s closing was much different than the other ski areas in this list. The owners, Prairie Island Tribal Council, decided to can operations in 2003 to prioritize the golf course on the property.
My jaw dropped reading about this unfortunate ending of a local hill. Today, the golf course stretches over some of the old ski runs and sits quietly when the snow falls.
Geneva Basin, CO
With history dating back to 1963, Geneva Basin Ski Area off Guanella Pass was in operation until 1984. Four lifts strong, Geneva Basin was high up in the Rockies with a base of 10,600 feet. The ski area peaked at 16 runs and a lodge to kick back in after a long day on the slopes.
Things began to unravel for the ski area in 1984, when a chair on the Duck Creek lift fell and the Colorado Tramway Board shut down the ski area until the issue was resolved. The ski area struggled to struggled to get back on track, resulting in only 24,490 skiers for the season. Geneva Basin was never able to recover from this and closed its lifts for good following the 1984 season.
An attempt was made in 1991 to resume operations, but ultimately the proposal amounted to nothing. Today, Geneva Basin is a popular backcountry ski area, but requires a long hike in the winter as Guanella Pass road is typically closed during the winter.
NebraSki, NE (Trail Ridge)
Skiing in Nebraska? NebraSki, originally Trail Ridge once believed in the dream. Between Omaha and Lincoln once sat the mighty NebraSki, a 200 vertical foot masterpiece for those itching for a turn. NebraSki managed to pack one double chair lift, one t-bar, and three rope tows into the small ski area.
Opening in 1982, the ski area had a man-made lake that held one million gallons of water for snowmaking. The magic ran out in 1996, when the ski area closed for good. Today, Nebraska has yet to secure another ski area within state lines. Will Nebraskans ever get the chance to ski Nebraska again?
Hidden Valley, CO
Hidden Valley Ski Area opened in 1955, just 10 miles outside of Estes Park, Colorado. Loaded with 2,000 vertical feet of skiing, and a base elevation of 9,400 feet, Hidden Valley offered plenty of good turns. Hidden Valley was favored by skiers from northern Colorado as it was a much closer drive than heading all the way down to I-70.
Hidden Valley failed to keep up with the larger ski areas in Colorado or seem to get the massive snowfalls the other mountains were getting. In the late 80s, skier visits dropped by roughly 33 percent, and it closed ski operations shortly after in 1991.
Despite the absence of lift operations at the former ski area, the slopes of the once Hidden Valley Ski Area still get turns in the winter. Backcountry skiing has become popular on the slopes and is a perfect spot for beginners in the backcountry to chase low angle snow or attend an avalanche safety course.
Unfortunately, so many favorite ski areas have permanently closed since the ski boom of the 70s and 80s. But thanks to projects like the Midwest Lost Ski Areas Project and ColoradoSkiHistory.com, people are able to relive the great memories of these legendary ski areas. These data archives hold tons of pictures, trail maps, and history of what built the ski industry we love today. It’s always a treasure learning from our readers and hearing the stories, so thank you to all that shared their memories and dreams about skiing these long lost ski areas.
