Hidden Valley Ski Area
Hidden Valley Ski Area is a ski resort in the St. Louis, Missouri suburb of Wildwood, Missouri.
| Hidden Valley Ski Area | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Hidden Valley Ski Area Location within Missouri | |
| Location | Wildwood, Missouri, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 38.535578°N 90.65287°W |
| Vertical | 320 ft (98 m) |
| Skiable area | 65 acres (26 ha) |
| Runs | 17 |
| Lift system | 5 chairs, 4 surface lifts |
| Terrain parks | 2 |
| Snowmaking | Yes |
| Night skiing | Yes |
| Website | Hiddenvalleyski.com |
About
Hidden Valley is located in Wildwood, Missouri, 29 mi (47 km) west of downtown St. Louis. The resort opened in 1982 and features a variety of terrain spread out over 17 trails, two terrain parks and two peaks. 110 fan guns have the ability to pump over 6600 gallons of water per minute, covering 100% of the terrain in as little as 48 hours.
The resort also offers the Polar Plunge Tubing Park a family friendly experience similar to sledding, no experience required.
A zip line tour opened in June 2019. Named ZipTour, it features four spans of different lengths over Hidden Valley’s 244-acre (99 ha) property. ZipTour operates on weekends year-round, Friday–Monday from 9:00 a.m. to sunset.
Polar Plunge Tubing Park
- SMI snowmaking fan guns to keep the lanes snow-covered
- 2 walk-on conveyor lifts provide access to the top of the hill
- Snack bar that offers food, drinks and snacks
- Bonfires to warm up riders on quick breaks
Mountain statistics
- 17 trails
- 320 ft. vertical drop
- 65 skiable acres
- 9 lifts including 5 chair lifts, 1 rope tow, and 3 magic carpet lifts
- 2 terrain parks
Facility features
- Snowsports Academy - lessons for all ages and abilities
- National Ski Patrol on site
- Slopeside equipment rental featuring over 1800 pairs of skis / or snowboards
- Ski lodge featuring a bar, retail space, cafeteria, and ample seating and a fireplace
- Electronic day lockers
- Vending machines [1]
- Polar Plunge Tubing Park - tubing hill with 16 - 1,000-foot (300 m) lanes
- ZipTour - zip line tour with 4 runs
History
Tim Boyd bought the Wildwood Golf Course for $250,000 in 1977. In 1982 he converted the hills to a ski resort while maintaining the golf course. The resort would be the first of several resorts throughout the Midwest and Northeast United States he developed or acquired through his company Peak Resorts.[2]
The resort is in the bluffs above the Meramec River.
Boyd ultimately entered an agreement to place the ski resort in a conservation easement in exchange for permission to build 80 homes on the golf property (which has since been closed).[3]
At the beginning of the 2012-2013 season, Hidden Valley opened two additional runs on an adjacent hill. They dubbed this new area "West Mountain". With this expansion, one additional chair lift was added to allow access to these runs.
In January 2018, the City of Wildwood passed a vote to allow Hidden Valley to build a zip line tour to allow the property to open year round.[4] The ZipTour opened in June 2019.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hidden Valley Ski Area. |
- https://www.hiddenvalleyski.com/explore/mountain-stats/
- Boyd's ski resort revenue climbs to $85 million - St. Louis Business Journal - February 23, 2007
- "Hidden Valley saved - St. Louis Business Journal:." St. Louis Business Journal.October 22, 2008. HighBeam Research. (February 3, 2009). http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1S1-12023420081020004401.html%5B%5D
- http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/wildwood-votes-to-let-hidden-valley-add-zip-line/article_5463b1ed-bcf3-57cf-9209-8cc3cb6870d8.html