IOWA

31
lost
areas


MWLSAP Homepage

Any information or pictures on the lost ski areas of Iowa would be greatly appreciated. Please e-mail: mark@mwlsap.org

| lost | working on | never opened | still open |

 SKI IOWA - Tourism and Travel Division, Iowa Development Commision 1972


 

LOST AREAS

Annie Wittenmyer Home

Beaver Hills Ski Association ???

Big Sioux Park

Booneville

  • Booneville, IA (Dallas County) - central Iowa, near Des Moines W - 1 mi. S of Booneville, 17 mi. W of Des Moines
  • Google Maps / Google Earth ???
    41.51405007590459, -93.8866314962841
    1 mi. S of Booneville
    Please email - mark@mwlsap.org - if you know a more precise location.
  • Ski Run Near Here - The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa) · Thu, Jul 27, 1961
  • No Snow -- But Skiing Interest Up - Des Moines Tribune, Fri, Jan 7, 1966 - "commercially operated ski areas" near . . . Booneville.


    Personal rope tow near Booneville:
    • Family on Skis - The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa) · Sun, Feb 28, 1965 - about a personal rope tow in Raccoon River valley near Booneville

Bunker Hill Golf Course* - see Dubuque Ski Club Hill

Clear Creek Ranch

Davenport Country Club

Dayton Del Ski Area

Deer Run * - see Dexfield Sports Area

Dexfield Sports Area (also called Raccoon River and Deer Run)

Dubuque Ski Club Hill (maybe the same as Bunker Hill Golf Course, near hole 11)

Duck Creek (also called Mount Duck)

Fun Valley

Hawkeye Ski Hill (also callled Hawk Hill)- Hawkeye Ski Association (private)

Hickory Hills Ski Slope

Holiday Mountain Inc. (later called Riverside Hills)

Horseshoe Bend

Humboldt Winter Playground* (Playland) see Silver Creek

Iowa County Park

  • Millersburg, IA - off I-80 5 mi N of Millersburg; runout on Lake Iowa
  • Currently Lake Iowa County Recreation Area
  • Google Maps / Google Earth
    41.63737012840509, -92.17756325727444
  • Snow means fun for skiers - The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) · Sat, Jan 6, 1979

Kalen's Ski Area * see Ted's Ski Hill

Kent Park / F. W, Kent Park

Mount Duck* - see Duck Creek

Nob Hill Ski Area (close to Pilot Knob State Park)

Nor-Ski Runs Ski Area

Oak Highlands

Raccoon River * - see Dexfield Sports Area

Riverside Hills* - see Holiday Mountain

Scott County Park Rope Tow

Silver Creek (also called Winter World, Humboldt Winter Playground; Winter Playland)

Ski-Pal Ski Area

Ski Valley + (reopened 1997-98 as Seven Oaks Recreation Area)

Ski Villa

  • Waverly, IA - northeastern Iowa (north on 1st . NW past north power plant to north side of Stockwell Bridge, first turn on north side of bridge)
  • o: 1971, v: 250
  • In 1978 (Skalka): 6 rope tows
  • Google Maps / Google Earth ???
    42.74902709936494, -92.47766857591458
    Please email - mark@mwlsap.org - if you know a more precise location.
  • Ski Villa Opens Near Waverly - The Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) · Tue, Feb 2, 1971
  • Ski Iowa - Tourism and Travel Division, Iowa Developement Commission, 1972 (.pdf)
  • More Iowa Ski Areas - Des Moines Register, Nov. 5, 1978, p. 119

Snomad Basin* (Dubuque) see Veterans Memorial Ski Hill

Squaw Creek Park Rope Tow

Sugar Creek Hill

Sunset Ski Slope

Sunset

Ted's Ski Hill - sometimes called Kalen's Ski Area

Veterans' Memorial Ski Hill (also called Snomad Basin)

Waterloo Ski Club

Wildwood Acres

Winter Playland *see Silver Creek

Winter World *see Silver Creek

MWLSAP Homepage

WORKING ON:

location of Clear Creek Ranch

location of Hawkeye Ski Hill

location of Nob Hill Ski Area

location of Ski Villa

location of Sunset Ski Slope

location of Booneville

 

No Snow -- But Skiing Interest Up - Des Moines Tribune, Fri, Jan 7, 1966

Mentions ski areas near;
  • Coon Rapids
  • Scranton (Green County)

Eldora - WORKING ON

  • Eldora, IA - Hardin County
  • Google Maps / Google Earth ???
    42.359469708376466, -93.10051373963913
    location of city of Eldora
    Please email - mark@mwlsap.org - if you know a more precise location.
  • Iowa Skiers Seek Other Slope - The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa) · Sun, Feb 28, 1965
    • "Among commerial ski areas in Iowa are those near Mt. Vernon, Eldora, and Des Moines.'
  • No Snow -- But Skiing Interest Up - Des Moines Tribune, Fri, Jan 7, 1966  
  • email sent 5/25/23 hchs@heartofiowa.net

Clarence E (Whitey) Gilbert obituary 10th mtn / first US ski tow - The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa) · Tue, Sep 9, 2003

Hawkeye Ski Hill- no location - WORKING ON

Chestnut Mound ?? - WORKING ON

Eldridge - WORKING ON

Snow Valley - WORKING ON

SKI JUMPS:

Longview Ski Club (Longview Ski Hill / Longview Ski Slide)

Canton Ski Hill (Sioux Valley Ski Club)

 MWLSAP Homepage

PLANNED, BUT NEVER DEVELOPED

Cone Park - NEVER OPENED

MacBride Ski Area - NEVER OPENED

Pilot Knob State Park^ - NEVER OPENED

 MWLSAP Homepage

STILL OPEN (IA)

Mt. Crescent Ski Area (Crescent Hills)

Seven Oaks Recreation Area (formerly Ski Valley)

Sleepy Hollow Sports Park

  • was closed 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, but Snowflex is being installed in 2023 for year-round skiing, snowboarding, and tubing.
  • o: 1997-1998
  • Des Moines, IA
  • facebook
  • skimap.org

Sundown Mountain Resort

 MWLSAP Homepage

 

1976

The Des Moines Register Sun, Jan. 25, 1976

 Map of Present and Lost Iowa Ski Areas created by Lucas Schryver

 

1979

It Is An Alternative, But Fear Not, Aspen - The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa) · Sun, Nov 18, 1979

Milford - Horseshoe Bend
Estherville - Holiday Mountain
Decorah - Nor-Ski
Humbolt - Winter World
Waverly - Ski Villa
Dubuque - Sundown and Veteran's Memorial Park
Boone - Ski Valley
Council Bluffs - Crescent Ski Hills
Dexter - Deer Run Sports Area
Pella - Sunset
Montezuma - Fun Valley

 

1986

The Gazette (Cedar Rapids Iowa) · Sun, Jan. 5, 1986

 

1987

Iowa City Press-Citizen, 28 Dec 1987, Mon · Page 13

1997

The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa) · Sat, Dec. 6, 1997

Still open in 2023: Mt. Crescent, Sleepy Hollow, Sundown, and Seven Oaks

* renamed; closed
+ renamed; open
^ never opened


MWLSAP.org by http://mwlsap.org is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.