Arctic Valley Ski Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arctic Valley Ski Area |
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View of the chairlift during the offseason
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 Arctic Valley Ski Area
Location in Alaska
Arctic Valley Ski Area
Location in North America
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| Location | Anchorage, Alaska, USA |
| Coordinates | 61°14′48″N 149°39′02″W / 61.24667°N 149.65056°W |
| Vertical | 1,500 ft (460 m) |
| Top elevation | 4,000 ft (1,200 m) |
| Base elevation | 2,500 ft (760 m) |
| Skiable area | 320 acres (1.3 km2) |
| Runs | 24 - 10% Beginner - 40% Intermediate - 50% Advanced |
| Lift system | 2 double chairs, 1 T-bar |
Arctic Valley Ski Area is a fun place to ski and snowboard in Anchorage, Alaska. It used to be called Alpenglow at Arctic Valley. This ski area is special because it's a nonprofit, meaning it focuses on helping the community rather than making money.
You can find Arctic Valley on Ski Bowl Road, inside Chugach State Park. It's located in the upper part of the Ship Creek valley. The area covers about 500 acres (2 square kilometers) of land. The lowest part of the ski area is about 2,500 feet (762 meters) high. It goes up to almost 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) at Rendezvous Peak.
Arctic Valley has three chair lifts to take you up the mountain. It also has one rope tow, a special lift for tubing, and four wide-open areas called "bowls" where you can ski. The Anchorage Ski Club runs the ski area. They have an agreement with Chugach State Park to use the land.
You can usually ski and ride at Arctic Valley on weekends. As spring arrives, they often open on Thursdays and Fridays too. If you like tubing, that's open from Thursday to Sunday, starting around Thanksgiving and lasting until early April.
History of Arctic Valley
The Anchorage Ski Club started in 1937, thanks to Al Corey and Ralph Soberg. This club then opened the Arctic Valley Ski Area in 1949. For many years, the Army also had its own ski area nearby, but it was removed in the early 2000s. The Anchorage Ski Club also has permission to use more land in Chugach State Park.
Arctic Valley is the only ski area with multiple chairlifts within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of Anchorage. This makes it a very convenient place for people in the city to enjoy winter sports.
In 2012, Arctic Valley added a tubing park. This park has a special small lift, called a pony tow, to help you get up the hill. It's the only tubing park open to everyone in southcentral Alaska.
