MWLSAP

mark@mwlsap.org

Midwest Lost Ski Areas Project


  FIRST SKI AREA IN EACH MIDWEST STATE

Scroll down for:

Please contact me if there is an error [ mark@mwlsap.org ]

Summary

Illinois

1949

Fox Valley Ski Hills

Indiana

1962

Mt. Wawasee, Tamarack Mountain Country Club, Pines Peak

Iowa

1952

Dubuque Ski Club Hill

Kansas

1969

Blue Mound (Mont Bleu)

Michigan

1922

Grand Beach Ski Club (Hanson Hills,1929 - still open)

Minnesota

1940

Gokey's Hill (now Buck Hill, still open, and Moon Valley

Missouri

1960

Hidden Valley - the original (NOT the Hidden Valley currently operating)

Nebraska

1972

Devils Nest

North Dakota

1956

Skyline Skiway

Ohio

1961

Snow Trails - still open

South Dakota

1938

Terry Peak - still open

Wisconsin

1937

Rib Mountain (still open as Granite Peak)

Illinois

Fox Valley Ski Hills 1949
Fox Valley Ski Hills - The Herald (Crystal Lake, Illinois) · Thu, Dec 22, 1949

https://www.mwlsap.org/illinois/il.htm#foxvalley

Indiana

Mt. Wawasee 1962
Ski Resort Created Atop Elkhart County Hill - The South Bend Tribune (South Bend, Indiana) · Sun, Dec 2, 1962
"Indiana's first pubic winter ski area."

https://www.inkfreenews.com/2017/01/31/mount-wawasee-a-high-point-for-many/
"The first ski hill in Indiana."

http://www.mwlsap.org/indiana/in.htm#mtwawasee

Tamarack Mountain Country Club 1962 - opened as a private club. Opened to the public in 1964
First chairlift in Indiana

New Recreation Area Mid-West Ski Center - Angola Herald, Sept. 5, 1962 - part 1 / part 2

Private Indiana Country Club Open To Public - Palladium-Item (Richmond, Indiana) · Fri, Feb 7, 1964 - "Tamarack Mountain club has Indiana's only double chairlift."

New Ski Facilities - Sports Illustrated, Dec 3, 1962

? Pines Peak 1962

Owner puts Porter County ski slope up for sale, Dec. 2008 " . . . it first opened 47 years ago."

Iowa

Dubuque Ski Club Hill 1952
SKIING - Encyclopedia Dubuque
picture - encyclopediadubuque.org
http://www.mwlsap.org/iowa/ia.htm#dubuqueskiclub

Kansas

Blue Mound (Mont Bleu) 1969
http://www.mwlsap.org/kansas/ks.htm#montbleu

Michigan

(See Michigan Lost Ski Areas Project - Firsts)

Grand Beach Ski Club, lift served ski jump, 1922, Hotel Golfmore, New Buffalo / Grand Beach, MI
Email from Michigan Lost Ski Areas Project:
"Grayling Winter Sports Park opened on State of Michigan land in 1929, although I don't know when the first lift (rope) was installed. It operated under 3 separate names over the years and is now operating as Hanson Hills, although there may have been a period after Bear Mountain was closed when it didn't operate.

Mont Ripley opened in 1935 and has been in continuous operation since. Caberfae opened in 1936 (but didn't install their first lift until 1940). It has also been in continuous operation.

However, the first lift served skiing in Michigan was at the Grand Beach Ski Club beginning in 1922. It was adjacent to the Hotel Golfmore on the dunes over Lake Michigan. The hill had a tow and a ski jump and hosted ski jumping tournaments from 1922 through at least 1926, the last one for which I found a brochure. The hotel burned in 1939. I do not know when the ski hill closed or when the tow was removed. It may have closed before any other lift-served skiing appeared in Michigan"

Grayling Winter Sports Park 1929 (still open as Hanson Hills; was also called Bear Mountain)

not sure when the first rope tow was installed
https://hansonhills.org/our-history - ". . . first downhill ski area in Michigan and the second in the Midwest "
http://mwlsap.org/michigan/mi.htm#hansonhills

Minnesota

Gokey's Hill (now Buck Hill) and Moon Valley 1940
Ski Run Lift Is Being Built - The Minneapolis Star, Nov 22, 1937

Gokey's Hill became Buck Hill which is still open

http://www.mwlsap.org/minnesota/mn.htm#gokeys

http://www.mwlsap.org/minnesota/mn.htm#moonvalley

Missouri

Hidden Valley - the original 1960 (NOT the Hidden Valley currently operating)
Commercial Ski Slope Near Pacific, MO Draws Many - St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) · Sun, Jan 29, 1961

http://www.mwlsap.org/missouri/mo.htm#hiddenvalleypacific

Nebraska

Devils Nest 1972
http://www.mwlsap.org/nebraska/ne.htm#devilsnest

? North Dakota

Skyline Skiway 1956
http://www.mwlsap.org/northdakota/nd.htm#skylineskiway

Ohio

Snow Trails 1961 - still open
https://www.snowtrails.com/footer-content/get-to-know-snow-trails

http://www.mwlsap.org/ohio/oh.htm#snowtrails

South Dakota

Terry Peak 1938 rope tow installed - still open
https://terrypeak.com/about/

http://mwlsap.org/southdakota/sd.htm#terrypeak

Wisconsin

Rib Mountain 1937 (still open as Granite Peak)
One of the first ski areas in the US.

https://www.skigranitepeak.com/discover/discover-granite-peak/our-history

 

Heiliger Huegel 1938 - second rope tow in Wiscosnin https://www.hhskiclub.com/history

 

 

 

Oldest Currently Operating Ski Area in Each Midwest State

FROM: https://247wallst.com/special-report/2022/01/09/the-oldest-ski-area-in-every-state/2/

Midwest Ski Resorts: Years They Were Founded

From the International Skiing History Association (skiinghistory.org). Membership fee required

https://www.skiinghistory.org/history/ski-resorts-years-they-were-founded?check_logged_in=1

 

 

 


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