Hidden Valley was the only ski area close to Fort Collins, Loveland and Estes Park and was hugely popular with locals and tourists from the time it opened in the mid-1950s until it closed after the 1990-1991 winter season. (File photo)
Skiing isn’t on many people’s minds at the moment. A few avid snow lovers are venturing into higher altitude snow, but for most people, skiing is a distant memory.
For companies that operate ski areas and parks, the situation is different: Summer is one of the busiest times to plan, and in 1988 that was the case for the Estes Valley Recreation Park District.
Estes Park Trail Gazette Archives
A July 20, 1988 Estes Park Trail-Gazette article reveals some of the challenges EVRPD faced in keeping Hidden Valley Ski Area afloat. (Estes Park Trail-Gazette archives)
An article in the July 20, 1988 Estes Park Trail-Gazette looked at the EVRPD’s challenges in keeping Hidden Valley Ski Area profitable. As of the EVRPD board meeting in June 1988, the district was carrying $70,000 in debt for the year and had ended the previous year with a loss of $105,000. It was suggested that the losses were due to ski area management.
Located in a section of Rocky Mountain National Park called Hidden Valley, this ski area was a popular ski area within the park. It officially opened in 1955, but skiing was only available in the 1930s when the park operated a shuttle bus to the top of Hidden Valley Chutes. The official ski resort established lodges, lifts, and other services within the valley for snow-loving recreationists in the winter.
But the resort has faced a number of challenges over the years, including rising costs, lack of snow, growing competition from larger ski areas in Colorado and changes to the National Park Service’s management plan for how Hidden Valley is managed.
Even though the assistance plan outlined in the 1988 article revealed a cost savings of $49,200, EVRPD was unable to justify the expense of keeping the ski area open. The resort closed in 1991.
Today, Hidden Valley has been transformed into a snow play area. You can see the runs through the trees, but they are slowly being replaced by new trees. The lodge and ski area facilities have been removed and the lodge’s timbers are being used for a building that houses restrooms, Junior Ranger Headquarters and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy Store. A short, pleasant trail runs along Hidden Creek, and there are picnic tables where you can enjoy a summer afternoon in the mountains.
For more history articles from the Estes Park Trail-Gazette, visit https://estespark.colorado.gov/departments/museum/museum-collection-research
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