Here’s another chance to bring a ski area back to life. This time, it’s a lost ski area in Colorado that’s very close to Denver.
The Slopes at Saint Mary’s Glacier have been listed for sale. Priced at $7 million, the 373-acre property has similar qualities as Echo Mountain and Ski Cooper. The property is situated on the southern portion of Kingston Peak and is located south of the actual Saint Mary’s Glacier. This place isn’t in the middle of nowhere, as it’s conveniently located off I-70. The only ski areas that are comparable in terms of convenient access to Denver are Echo Mountain and Loveland.
The ski area opened in the 1930s and had three surface lifts (a t-bar and two rope tows). The ski area did have facilities, but they apparently were temporary. The mountain closed for good back in 1986. A revival was planned in the 2000s but failed to gain any traction.
Other potential uses include a backcountry ski destination, a recreation area for various sports, a hotel, a restaurant, an outdoor sports store, an events venue, or to convert the land into a private estate. This last option would be the lamest move, so please don’t do that.
There are a few things I can think of regarding roadblocks to having a successful ski area. The first is only having 181″ of annual snowfall, so you’d have to build a strong snowmaking system. The second issue I see is a small main parking lot, so you’d have to figure out how to grow that out. Other than that, this could be a fantastic place to shred.
Reviving this mountain would be a great thing for the Colorado ski industry, and it would give beginners another place to learn. You can view the listing here. More photos of the property are below.
Image Credits: LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, Skimap.org
