Winter Park, Monarch, Wolf Creek Celebrate 70 Years

WWII was underway, Pinocchio was released, Tom and Jerry started their cartoon antics, and the very first McDonald's restaurant opened in 1940. Three Colorado ski areas also began that year.

Winter Park was the newest addition to the Denver Mountain Park system, and offered a single J-Bar lift and three runs. Today, Winter Park spans three interconnected mountain peaks with 25 chairlifts, 143 designated trails, and more than 1,200 acres of terrain. Winter Park offers the 70-Hour Sale, where guests get 70 percent off the second night of lodging for any reservation booked through closing day of April 17.

Monarch Mountain was a product of the New Deal Era Work Projects Administration. The mountain started with a 500-foot rope tow, powered by a car engine that was rigged to a gear box taken from an old oil derrick. Monarch now has 63 trails and five chairlifts, providing skiers and riders access to 800 acres of terrain. Monarch Snowcat Tours also offer access to backcountry terrain and deep snow.

Wolf Creek Ski Area started because of a group of skiers from Alamosa, known as the San Luis Valley Ski Association. They loved the powder on Wolf Creek pass. They built a small tow rope and warming cabin on the pass in 1939. Wolf Creek now has seven chairlifts serving 1,600 acres of terrain. The warming hut is now the Wolf Creek Lodge at the base of the mountain.

Happy 70^th birthday to these popular Colorado resorts.

More Information: Winter Park; Monarch; Wolf Creek