Crescent, Iowa — It’s been a transformative past couple of years for Crescent Hill at Hitchcock, and it sounds like more changes could be on the way.
Since acquiring the ski area in 2022, Pottawattamie County has invested in modernizing the facility, which has included snowmaking enhancements and connecting it to the Hitchcock Nature Center via hiking trails. In late February, Mt. Crescent Ski Area announced a name change. Its new name, Crescent Hill at Hitchcock, aims to represent that it’s more than just a place to hang out in the winter.
Last week, a draft master plan was released for the Crescent Hill at Hitchcock. Developed by the SE Group, the master plan was created thanks to survey answers from nearly 1000 participants and discussions with 76 stakeholders. These future ambitions were divided into immediate, intermediate, and aspirational phases. Ultimately, a master plan serves as a wish list, meaning that it’s not definitive whether these projects will happen or not.
Various improvements are being considered for the ski area. Proposals in the master plan include putting a rope tow in the terrain park, adding a new beginner area with magic carpets, replacing the chairlifts, adding a new base lodge, constructing a chalet (which would feature a restaurant and event space), replacing the maintenance building, and adding a new snow tubing park.
To help make Crescent a four-season destination, this master plan focuses on what people can do on this land outside of skiing and riding in the winter.
In terms of the offseason, some of the projects being considered included a Snowflex summer ski zone, ziplines, a hilltop picnic zone, building cabins and glamping sites, an amphitheater, a playground, and parking spaces for RVs. In terms of the summer skiing, there’s a new Snowflex site in Iowa, which could help Crescent Hill determine whether this is a worthy project to take on. In addition, to accommodate for more guests, more parking lots are being considered.
Interestingly, the master plan also listed activities that they don’t believe fit the character of the ski area. These included mountain biking, tubing during the summertime, disc golf, a low-height ropes course, and a mountain coaster.
Crescent Hill is accepting public comments on the master plan until June 30th. If you have some thoughts on these projects, they can be submitted here.
Image/Video Credits: Crescent Hill at Hitchcock
