After months of planning and analysis, the Town of Nederland is buying one of the closest ski resorts to Denver.
Today, the Town of Nederland announced that it has signed a letter of intent to purchase Eldora Mountain Resort. Currently owned by POWDR, the ski resort chain announced in August 2024 that it was selling Killington, and also intended to sell Eldora, Mt. Bachelor, and Silver Star. They ultimately decided against selling Mt. Bachelor, but have continued to hear offers for Eldora and SilverStar.
The most interested party in purchasing Eldora has been the Town of Nederland, which is where the ski resort is located. Last fall, the town began to seriously analyze whether it could actually acquire the ski resort. Momentum continued into 2025, which led them to reach an agreement with POWDR today. The deal is expected to be finalized by early October.
The town will pay for the ski resort by issuing municipal revenue bonds. This means that local taxpayers won’t be footing the bill. Here’s what the town said about its financing plans for acquiring the ski resort:
“The Town will issue municipal revenue bonds backed only by the resort’s earnings, which is profitable enough to service the debt. The revenue bonds will not be backed by local tax dollars. This avoids risk to the taxpayers. The Town will also be exploring opportunities for grants and private-sector dollars to help lower the total debt.”
Eldora Mountain is currently on the Ikon Pass. The town stated that it plans to remain on the pass. In terms of operations, they’re partnering with 303 Ski, an organization comprised of ski industry leaders in the Front Range, for guidance.
It’ll be interesting to see what comes of this. Sundance will be making its way to Boulder in 2027, which means that Eldora is the closest mountain for filmgoers. That will definitely have an impact on business.
Another big thing will be further investments. Eldora is known as a crowded place. Will they try to expand the skiable footprint? Growth into offseason activities, which is what the town has stated it is interested in doing, will likely increase revenue and enhance its long-term viability.
There are other government-owned ski resorts, but the question is whether Nederland can continue to invest beyond their first few years of ownership. Ultimately, ski resorts that continue to reinvest in improving the core product are the most successful.
Image Credits: Eldora Mountain Resort
