Dollar Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dollar Mountain |
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|---|---|
| Location | Sun Valley Blaine County, Idaho  United States |
| Nearest city | Ketchum |
| Coordinates | 43°40′59″N 114°20′49″W / 43.68306°N 114.34694°W |
| Vertical | 628 ft (191 m) |
| Top elevation | 6,638 ft (2,023 m) |
| Base elevation | 6,010 ft (1,832 m) |
| Lift system | 4 chairlifts - 2 quads - 1 triple - 1 double |
| Terrain parks | 1 |
| Snowfall | 200 in (508 cm) |
| Snowmaking | yes |
| Night skiing | no |
| Website | Sun Valley.com |
Dollar Mountain is a fun ski hill located in south-central Idaho. It's part of the famous Sun Valley ski resort. This mountain is 6,638 feet (2,023 meters) tall!
Dollar Mountain is perfect for skiers and snowboarders who are just starting out or are still learning. Its slopes are gentle and easy to navigate. If you're an advanced skier, you'll likely head to Bald Mountain, often called "Baldy," which is right next to the city of Ketchum.
Exploring Dollar Mountain
Dollar Mountain is known for its wide-open, treeless slopes. This makes it a great place to learn. You can see clearly as you glide down the hill. It's a very welcoming spot for beginners.
Ski Lifts and Trails
To get up the mountain, Dollar Mountain has four main chairlifts. They are named Dollar, Half Dollar, Quarter Dollar, and Elkhorn. The Dollar and Quarter Dollar lifts are modern, fast "detachable quads." This means they can slow down for you to get on and off easily.
The Half Dollar lift is a double chairlift. The Elkhorn lift is a triple chairlift. It's a bit separate from the others. Its base is in Elkhorn Village. But don't worry, you can still ski between the Dollar and Elkhorn sides of the mountain!
For very first-time skiers, there's also a "magic carpet." It's like a moving sidewalk that gently takes you up a small slope. The Half Dollar chairlift also takes you to a special terrain park. This park is designed for snowboarders and skiers to practice tricks. The trails on Dollar Mountain are shorter and not as steep as those on Baldy.
Mountain Features
The bottom of Dollar Mountain is 6,010 feet (1,832 meters) above sea level. The mountain's vertical drop is 628 feet (191 meters). This is much less than Baldy's big drop of 3,400 feet (1,036 meters).
In 2004, a brand new lodge was built at the base of Dollar Mountain. It's a beautiful building with lots of space. It features large timbers, river rock, and glass. This lodge is named after Carol Holding. She is the wife of the resort's owner, Earl Holding. It's a great place to warm up and relax.
Snow and Upgrades
To make sure there's always enough snow, new snowmaking equipment was added in 2006. This helps keep the slopes covered even when there isn't much natural snowfall.
The old Dollar and Quarter Dollar lifts were replaced in 2007. They were upgraded to new, high-speed detachable quad chairlifts. These newer lifts make getting up the mountain much faster and smoother.
