As a longtime Denver resident and REALTOR, I take full advantage of the exceptional skiing the area provides. One of my favorite destinations is the town of Winter Park, Colorado, which is relatively low-key yet offers a varied terrain ideal for all levels of winter sports enthusiasts.
Winter Park Resort is owned by the City of Denver, with a history of skiing that dates back to the 1920s. The emergence of Winter Park as a ski destination was enabled through the construction of Moffat railroad tunnel, which began in 1923. Located in Grand Valley, Winter Park was initially comprised of two tiny settlements, West Portal and Hideaway Park. With West Portal originally housing railroad tunnel construction workers, Hideaway Park was a valley merchant L.O. "Doc" Graves’ brainchild: a gas station, cafe, and nearly 30 tourist cabins. Electricity for this enterprise was generated through a water wheel on nearby Vasquez Creek.
The growth of Winter Park as a tourist area took off in the 1930s when, despite a deep economic depression, the community doubled in size, adding a nightclub, a saloon, and a garage. The development of skiing trails and ski jumps was led by George Cranmer of Denver Parks and Recreation, the namesake of one of Denver’s city parks. He successfully gained project support from the U.S. Forest Service, which in 1937 constructed a ski jump and several trails beside the railroad at Cooper Creek. The following year, ski-train service was initiated, bringing winter sports persons conveniently from Denver to Grand Valley. I
n 1939, Winter Park took its present name, gaining a J-bar tow that allowed downhill skiing. Within 10 years, the ski area boasted 4 rope tows and 3 T-bar ski lifts, as well as the Winter Park Ski School and Eskimo Ski Club. By 1950, ski ticket prices had doubled to $2, and over 25,000 visitors made the train ride over to Winter Park each year. The City and County of Denver created a nonprofit agency to manage the resort in 1956, and in 1961, Winter Park gained its first chair lift. Over the decades, the resort has added many new routes and lifts spanning a trip of peaks: Vasquez Ridge, Winter Park, and Mary Jane.
The resort is currently managed by Intrawest, which is engaged in a development process designed to make Winter Park a year-round destination. Despite modernization’s inevitable toll, Winter Park retains a sense of charm and history that is fitting for one of Colorado’s oldest and most storied ski resorts.
About the Author: Gretchen Rosenberg serves as Broker Manager of The Kentwood Company at Cherry Creek, guiding a team of 60 brokers who together enjoy one of the leading sales volumes per agent in the United States.
Winter Park Resort is owned by the City of Denver, with a history of skiing that dates back to the 1920s. The emergence of Winter Park as a ski destination was enabled through the construction of Moffat railroad tunnel, which began in 1923. Located in Grand Valley, Winter Park was initially comprised of two tiny settlements, West Portal and Hideaway Park. With West Portal originally housing railroad tunnel construction workers, Hideaway Park was a valley merchant L.O. "Doc" Graves’ brainchild: a gas station, cafe, and nearly 30 tourist cabins. Electricity for this enterprise was generated through a water wheel on nearby Vasquez Creek.
The growth of Winter Park as a tourist area took off in the 1930s when, despite a deep economic depression, the community doubled in size, adding a nightclub, a saloon, and a garage. The development of skiing trails and ski jumps was led by George Cranmer of Denver Parks and Recreation, the namesake of one of Denver’s city parks. He successfully gained project support from the U.S. Forest Service, which in 1937 constructed a ski jump and several trails beside the railroad at Cooper Creek. The following year, ski-train service was initiated, bringing winter sports persons conveniently from Denver to Grand Valley. I
n 1939, Winter Park took its present name, gaining a J-bar tow that allowed downhill skiing. Within 10 years, the ski area boasted 4 rope tows and 3 T-bar ski lifts, as well as the Winter Park Ski School and Eskimo Ski Club. By 1950, ski ticket prices had doubled to $2, and over 25,000 visitors made the train ride over to Winter Park each year. The City and County of Denver created a nonprofit agency to manage the resort in 1956, and in 1961, Winter Park gained its first chair lift. Over the decades, the resort has added many new routes and lifts spanning a trip of peaks: Vasquez Ridge, Winter Park, and Mary Jane.
The resort is currently managed by Intrawest, which is engaged in a development process designed to make Winter Park a year-round destination. Despite modernization’s inevitable toll, Winter Park retains a sense of charm and history that is fitting for one of Colorado’s oldest and most storied ski resorts.
About the Author: Gretchen Rosenberg serves as Broker Manager of The Kentwood Company at Cherry Creek, guiding a team of 60 brokers who together enjoy one of the leading sales volumes per agent in the United States.