Trying to pin Winter Park Resort to a single characteristic or experience is impossible. The culture, style and personality of the resort have been shaped and defined by 69 years of evolution and revolution.
Winter Park Resort was the brainchild of Denver's manager of Parks and Recreation, George Cranmer, and was created to provide a "winter park" for the residents of Denver. With the help of some enthusiastic volunteers, Winter Park fired up its first rope tow with a $1 lift ticket in 1939. Since that modest beginning, the resort has steadily morphed into one of the top ten ski resorts in the United States, hosting nearly a million skiers and snowboarders annually.
Winter Park's first and ongoing claim to fame is consistently abundant snowfall. Averaging 30 feet of snow annually entitles the resort to the coveted title of "most snow of any major Colorado resort," a distinction that has been unchallenged for more than 69 years. With its proximity to Denver, just 67 miles away, Winter Park is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts.
The wilder side of Winter Park emerged in 1975 when the rowdy Mary Jane Mountain opened. Revered for big bumps, deep chutes, tight glades and steep pitches, "the Jane" has earned cult-like status for her feisty attributes and ego-humbling terrain. Consistently ranked #1 for moguls in North America by Skiing Magazine, Mary Jane is fiercely loved and defended by legions of bump skiers and riders who relentlessly pursue the tightest, cleanest lines down the faces of her daunting trails.
In steady succession, additional sections of the mountain opened including Mary Jane's backside, Vasquez Ridge, Parsenn Bowl and, in 1997, Vasquez Cirque - the resort's most extreme and dramatic terrain. Today, Winter Park boasts 26 lifts serving 134 trails spread over more than 3,060 acres over five mountains.
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Additional InformationINTRAWEST INVESTS $6.5 MILLION FOR WINTER PARK IMPROVEMENTS
Winter Park, Colo., -After several years of modest capital investment, Winter Park Resort pulls out the stops for the coming season with some dramatic new improvements on the slopes and to mountain restaurants.
Parks and pipes become a higher priority this season at Winter Park. Rail Yard terrain park has a new look and feel with bigger features, redesigned jumps and more progressive rails. A new Zaugg 420-foot Superpipe makes its debut on the face of Allan Phipps trail. Riders wanting big air, big tricks and big challenge will get what they crave! Additionally, the lower half of Rail Yard moves from Cranmer to lower Allan Phipps. And, to improve traffic flow along Cranmer Cutoff where it crosses Allan Phipps, a 100-foot snow bridge over Cranmer Cutoff enables park and pipe riders to cross smoothly over the trail while recreational skiers on the Cutoff go through the tunnel.
No longer the small kid on the block, Jack Kendrick's terrain park has expanded to encompass more features for curious novices and intermediates. The smallest and more timid skiers and riders can learn basic tricks on new entry-level features in Discovery Park.
"Improvements at Winter Park range from modest to magnificent and we believe that our investments all over the resort will be noticed and appreciated by our guests," said Gary DeFrange, vice president and general manager of Winter Park Resort. "There is definitely a higher level of excitement this season as we anticipate the reaction from our visitors."
The most dramatic change for the season is the renaissance of West Portal Station, located at the base of Winter Park. An estimated $1.1 million has been invested to create a dramatic transformation both inside and out. With Winter Park's rich railroad history, it was a natural choice to redesign the entire building, menu and d‚cor with a pronounced train and train station theme.
