Ririe, Idaho — Terrain parks across North America keep evolving.
Inspired by Midwest rope tow hot laps, ski resorts across the country have added rope tows to their terrain parks. Included in this craze is Kelly Canyon, an Idaho ski resort that bought a rope tow last winter to enhance a terrain park scene.
Last week, Kelly Canyon Resort announced terrain park improvements. These include doubling the size of the terrain park, adding more lights, adding a speaker system, and putting a snack shack next to the park. While it’s not a Waffle Cabin, a snack shack still sounds like a good addition.
I actually have experienced a terrain park with speakers before. Mount Sunapee’s Six-0-Three terrain park has had speakers for years. It’s had a spotty operational history, and I believe the aging speakers haven’t been replaced. When the tunes were blasting, it was a great atmosphere. Hopefully, Kelly Canyon listens to my song suggestion and plays Darude-Sandstorm on repeat.
A lot is happening at Kelly Canyon, with widespread improvements planned for the 2026-27 season. Referenced upgrades include a snowmaking expansion, acquiring geodesic domes for year-round lodging, growing their glade count, adding a new parking lot, and plans to groom more terrain.
Other recent upgrades include new trails and glades, a new triple chairlift and magic carpet in 2021, adding a rope tow to the park for last winter, and adding an Idaho hamburger chain to their base lodge (Big Jud’s).
About Kelly Canyon
Situated s thirty minute drive away from Idaho Falls, Kelly Canyon describes itself as “the biggest little ski hill in the USA.” The ski resort features 51 trails over 740 acres of skiable terrain. Interestingly, the upper portions of Kelly Canyon offer trails for Nordic skiers and snowshoers. Kelly Canyon is a great stop on a Teton ski trip, as it has seen several upgrades in recent years.
Image Credits: Kelly Canyon Resort
