Wyoming Ski Area Tests Lights For First Time Ahead of Night Skiing Debut

Hogadon Basin Ski Area in Casper, WY turned on their new night skiing lights for the first time earlier this week. The ski area invested around $400k to add night skiing on two trails.

Hogadon planned to debut night skiing last year, but a flaw in the light poles was detected. The company who manufactured the poles had to replace in the installed poles, hence the delay until this season.

Hogadon is owned and operated by the city of Casper, WY and is a significant source of revenue for the area. Officials estimate that night skiing will bring an additional $60k per year to the small ski area.

I’ve often wondered why more ski areas out west don’t offer night skiing. I know it simply isn’t feasible to light up every trail at a giant ski resort like Mammoth, but surely it’s possible to light up a few trails? It definitely makes sense for small ski areas like Hogadon, and I wonder if we’ll see more small western ski areas add night skiing.

I would guess that most ski areas in the southeast, mid atlantic, midwest, and a decent amount in the northeast offer some degree of night skiing. It’s definitely not the most enjoyable experience due to the usually frigid temps and low visibility, but it’s still skiing!