^Courtesy: Ghost of North America
Devil’s Nest Ski Area is an abandoned ski area located in northeast Nebraska that has been relatively untouched since it closed in 1974. The lifts only spun for 2 years.
The original lifts, chairs, and lodge are all standing. After years of decay the remaining structures look like something out of an apocalyptic/horror movie.
The video below shows the guys from the Ghosts of North America exploring the property. Skip ahead to the 5:00 mark in the video for the first look at the chair lifts.
Important to note that this entire area is private property. We DO NOT advise trying to explore the ski area yourself.
Devil’s Nest was forced to close by the state of Nebraska for failure to pay corporate taxes. A few attempts have been made to resurrect other aspects of the resort, but without success.
The guys from Ghosts of North America have taken some astounding photos of the resort overgrown with trees and vegetation. I highly recommend you check out their full post here.
^The original lodge is still standing. Courtesy: Ghosts of North America
Here’s what we could find on the stats, size, and other interesting information about this bizarre ski area.
Including a crude trail map that exudes early 1970s ski-fever energy.
Number of Trails: 12
Number of Lifts: 2
Longest Trail: 5,100′
Vertical: ~350′ according to data found on google maps.
Average Snowfall: Lindy, NE (nearby town) averages 35″ per year.
^Devil’s Nest Trail Map from 1972. Courtesy: SkiMap.Org
It’s cool, but sad to learn about these lost ski areas. Makes you wonder what could have been if it was managed properly.
The developers wanted to cash-in on the ski craze sweeping the nation through the mid-to-late 20th century. Unfortunately, building a ski resort in Nebraska turned out not to be profitable.
Imagine that.
Which ski areas have you been to that are now abandoned?
