Eldora Mountain Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eldora Mountain Resort |
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 Eldora Mountain Resort
Location in Colorado
Eldora Mountain Resort
Location in the United States
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| Location | Boulder County, Colorado  United States |
| Nearest city | Nederland – 3 mi (5 km). Boulder – 18 mi (29 km). |
| Coordinates | 39°56′15″N 105°35′1″W / 39.93750°N 105.58361°W |
| Vertical | 1,240 ft (380 m) lift-served |
| Top elevation | 10,600 ft (3,200 m) |
| Base elevation | 9,360 ft (2,850 m) |
| Skiable area | 680 acres (2.8 km2) |
| Runs | 53 total – 20% easiest – 50% more difficult – 30% most difficult |
| Longest run | 3 miles (4.8 km) |
| Lift system | 7 chairlifts – 1 detachable six – 2 quad – 1 triple – 3 double 2 surface lifts |
| Terrain parks | 4 |
| Snowfall | 300 inches (760 cm) |
| Snowmaking | Yes |
| Night skiing | No |
Eldora Mountain Resort is a popular ski area located in Boulder County, Colorado. It's found near the small community of Eldora and just 3 miles (5 km) west of Nederland.
Discover Eldora Mountain Resort
Eldora is special because it's one of the few ski resorts in Colorado located on the east side of the Continental Divide. This means it's easier to reach for many people! It's about 20 miles (32 km) west of Boulder and 50 miles (80 km) from downtown Denver. You can easily get there by taking the Ski-n-Ride bus (Route N) from Boulder. It runs seven times a day during ski season. This makes it a great choice because skiers don't have to use the very busy I-70 highway.
The highest point at Eldora is 10,600 feet (3,231 meters) above sea level on Bryan Mountain. The ski slopes mostly face north and east. The main base area, where you'll find lodges and shops, is at 9,200 feet (2,804 meters).
Eldora mostly welcomes skiers and snowboarders who visit for the day. However, you can find places to stay overnight in Nederland or more options in Boulder. Besides alpine skiing, Eldora also has a Nordic Center. This area offers 40 km (25 miles) of trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. You can also rent equipment, take lessons, and find special packages there.
Skiing and Snowboarding Terrain
Even though Eldora is smaller than some other big resorts in Colorado, it's known for its exciting and varied terrain. There are trails for all skill levels:
- Beginner Trails: These are found on Little Hawk Mountain, perfect for those just starting out.
- Intermediate and Advanced Trails: You'll find these on Challenge Mountain and through Indian Peaks.
- Expert Terrain: For experienced skiers, Corona Bowl and the West Ridge trail offer steep slopes, ranging from 45 to 70% in steepness!
Because Eldora is located along the Continental Divide, it can sometimes experience strong winds. For example, in late 2019, the resort had to close for most of a day due to very powerful, hurricane-force winds.
In 2011, Eldora shared a new plan to improve the resort. This plan included adding and replacing ski lifts, along with making improvements to the terrain.
Eldora's History
The idea for Eldora started in 1961. Four men bought 400 acres of land near Nederland from the Forest Service. This land is now where the base-area lodge and parking lot are located. A road from Nederland was built the next year, along with two T-bar lifts. To compete with other ski areas nearby, a lodge was built and the road was improved.
Eldora installed its first chairlift, called Little Hawk, in 1967. This lift was built by Miner-Denver and is still running today. It's the oldest operating chairlift in Colorado!
In 1973, two more double chairlifts were added: Cannonball and Corona. Corona opened up a new area to the north. Later in the 1970s, two more double chairlifts, Caribou and Sundance, were built on the beginner hill.
In 1989, the Corona Bowl area was reopened after being closed for years. This bowl was named after an old mountain pass called Rollins Pass. This pass was used by a railway from 1904 to 1928 to cross the Continental Divide. You can still see the old railway path from the top of Corona.
In 1992, a triple chairlift called Challenge was installed. In 1998, two fixed-grip quad chairs were added. One replaced the original Corona lift, and the other, Indian Peaks, opened up 150 new acres of skiable land.
Over the years, Eldora has been part of different ski passes:
- In 2013, Eldora joined Vail Resorts' Epic Pass for the 2013–2014 season.
- In 2014, Eldora left the Epic Pass and joined the Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus with Winter Park & Copper Mountain.
- In 2016, Powdr Corporation bought Eldora Mountain Resort. They also rebranded its terrain park as a Woodward facility, which is known for its action sports camps.
In the 2017/2018 season, Eldora installed a new, fast six-person chairlift called Alpenglow. The resort had an early start to the 2018/2019 ski season, opening on November 7th. This was its earliest opening day in over two decades!
In late 2019, Eldora planned to add 800 more parking spaces to its existing 1,600 spaces. This would involve expanding one lot and creating a new one. In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Eldora stopped offering free bus tickets and cancelled events for the rest of the season.
