The mountain opened for the 1939–40 season as Winter Park Ski Area[3] and was owned and operated by the city and county of Denver until 2002, when Denver entered into a partnership with Intrawest ULC, a Canadian corporation headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, which operated the resort until Intrawest was acquired by Alterra Mountain Company in 2018.[4][5] For nearly 70 years, a popular way for Denver residents to arrive was via the Ski Train, which arrived at the resort's base area through the Moffat Tunnel. Ski Train service ended in 2009 but returned as the Winter Park Express in 2017.[6] Winter Park Resort is home to one of the world's largest and oldest disabled skiing programs, the National Sports Center for the Disabled.
During Intrawest's stint operating the resort, they made several changes to the mountain's infrastructure, renovating the food services in the West Portal base lodge, opening new lifts in 2005 and 2006, and a new base village with hundreds of condominia, a parking structure, a "Village Pond," retail space, and an open-air gondola known as "The Village Cabriolet."[7] The historic 1955 Balcony House was listed as one of Colorado's Most Endangered Places by Colorado Preservation, Inc.[8][9] This historic building was designed in the Googie style of architecture, which was a popular style in the 1940s to the 1960s.
The resort consists of three interconnected mountain peaks — Winter Park, Mary Jane, and Vasquez Ridge — which share a common lift ticket. Mary Jane, opened in 1975, has a separate base area and is known for its moguls, tree skiing, hidden huts, and generally more difficult terrain. It encompasses the above-tree line terrain of Parsenn Bowl. Vasquez Ridge, opened in 1986, offers intermediate terrain and mogul runs. In 1997, 435 acres (176 ha) of backcountry terrain in Vasquez Cirque were opened to skiing, although access required hiking from the top of Mary Jane;[10] the 2006 relocation of the former Outrigger triple chairlift to the backside of Parsenn Bowl (now called Eagle Wind) provides an easier escape back to Mary Jane after descending Vasquez Cirque.
Beginning with the 2013-14 season, the resort was divided into seven "territories".[11] The three peaks — Winter Park, Mary Jane, and Vasquez Ridge — are each considered their own territories. Parsenn Bowl is now considered its own territory separate from Mary Jane. The remaining three are Vasquez Cirque (the backcountry terrain behind Parsenn Bowl), Eagle Wind (the glade below Vasquez Cirque), and "Terrain Park" (the various terrain parks across the mountain).[12]
Winter Park is a year-round resort; the resort operates the lifts during the summer months for mountain biking, hiking and sightseeing. The Arrow chairlift also services an alpine slide in the summer, and the base area features miniature golf, a climbing wall, and other diversions. While the Winter Park area is also a popular destination for golf, there are no golf courses located at, or operated by, the resort itself. Winter Park boasts the most extensive lift access summer mountain biking trails in Colorado.
In 2018 Winter Park Resort was named "Best ski resort in North America" as voted by the readers of USA Today.[13] In 2019 Winter Park Resort was named "Number 1 Ski Resort in North America".[14]
View looking north from the top of Parsenn Bowl prior to the construction of the Panoramic Express.View looking east at Parry's Peak from near the top of the Mary Jane.Panoramic view of the Zephyr Express and Zephyr Mountain Lodge.A panorama taken on Whistlestop run at Winter Park Resort.
When opened, it was marketed as being the highest high-speed six pack in North America, a title it retained until the Kensho SuperChair at Breckenridge Ski Resort was built in 2013.
Destroyed in 1990 as part of a series of tests that included an uncontrolled rollback, trees falling on the line, and a fire in the motor room. Replaced by the Eskimo triple.
Relocated from Ski Granby Ranch (formerly Sol Vista); replaced by Panoramic Express
Zephyr
Triple
Yan
1983-1990
Replaced by Zephyr Express; was later reinstalled as Eskimo before being sold to Jackson Hole in 1999
Zephyr Express
High speed quad
Poma
1990-2018
Replaced with ten-person gondola
Bob Woods
T-bar
1940-1969
Replaced with Apollo double
Historic Trails
Ski trail near the top of Winter Park Resort.
During Winter Park's 75-year history, many individuals have made significant contributions to the development and image of the ski area. Several ski trails have been identified on the resort's website as "historical trails," and even more exist on the mountain. A commemorative sign, with a brief narrative about the individual's contribution to the ski area, has been installed along each historical trail. Listed are both the run and in parentheses the lift that reaches them:
Winter Park Resort nestled in with the Continental Divide
Hughes (The Gondola or Explorer Express)
Cranmer (The Gondola or Explorer Express)
Allan Phipps (The Gondola, Explorer Express or Prospector Express)
Bradley's Bash (The Gondola or Explorer Express)
Mulligan's Mile (The Gondola or Explorer Express)
Jack Kendrick (Prospector Express or Looking Glass)
Mt. Maury (learning slope with carpet)
Retta's Run (Explorer Express lift line)
Engeldive (Prospector Express and Looking Glass)
Balch (The Gondola or Explorer Express)
Wilson's Way (Discovery learning double)
Mary Jane Trail (reached from Super Gauge Express, Olympia Express or High Lonesome Express)
Over N' Underwood (Prospector Express or Looking Glass) (not listed on website)
Butch's Breezeway (Prospector Express or Looking Glass) (not listed on website)
Notable people
Elizabeth McIntyre (born 1965), freestyle skier, Olympic silver medalist; lives in Winter Park
Ryan Max Riley (born 1979), freestyle skier, US Champion, and humorist; lived in Winter Park
Ryan St. Onge (born 1983), freestyle skier, World Champion and two-time Olympian; lived in Winter Park
Michelle Roark (born 1974), freestyle skier, World Champion silver medalist and two-time Olympian; lived in Winter Park
^"Winter Park". Winter Park Resort - Real Estate – Winter Park, Colorado. Winter Park Resort. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
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