Hyland Hills Ski Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hyland Hills Ski Area |
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![]() Overlooking Hyland Hills ski area chalet
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Location | Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S. |
Nearest city | Minneapolis |
Coordinates | 44°50′38″N 93°21′50″W / 44.844°N 93.364°W |
Vertical | 175 ft (53 m) |
Top elevation | 1,075 ft (328 m) |
Base elevation | 900 ft (270 m) |
Runs | 13 total![]() ![]() ![]() 2 Freestyle Terrain |
Lift system | 2 quad chairlifts 1 triple chairlift 1 rope tow 2 magic carpets |
Terrain parks | 2 |
Snowfall | 60 in (150 cm) |
Snowmaking | yes |
Night skiing | every night |
Website | [1] |
Hyland Hills Ski Area is a popular place to ski and snowboard in Bloomington, Minnesota. It's located just south of Minneapolis in the United States. The Three Rivers Park District owns and operates this fun ski area.
Hyland Hills is one of three ski spots in the Twin Cities area. The other two are Afton Alps and Buck Hill. Many people visit Hyland Hills each year, about 160,000! It's a popular spot because it's close to the Mall of America.
Even though Minnesota winters are cold, Hyland Hills doesn't always get a lot of natural snow. The average snowfall is less than 60 inches. Because of this, they often use Artificial snow to keep the slopes ready for skiing and snowboarding.
In 2016, the main building, called the chalet, got a huge upgrade. It became much bigger, more than doubling its original size. The new chalet is 36,000 square feet. It has a gear shop, places to rent equipment, and a restaurant. You can also rent the chalet for private events.
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The History of Hyland Hills
In the 1950s, Hyland Hills Ski Area was known by a different name: Mt. Normandale. About 48,000 skiers visited it each year. But then, there was a time with very little snow for six years. This caused the number of skiers to drop a lot.
The owners, Gordy Bowen and Oscar Strand, tried to fix this. They bought a snowmaker and a special lift called a sitzlift. They hoped this would bring more skiers back. However, their efforts didn't help much. The man-made snow became very hard. They didn't have the right tools to groom it properly.
Soon after, the Hennepin County Park Reserve District bought the ski area. They changed its name to Hyland Hills Ski Area. The new owners added modern grooming equipment. They also built new buildings and proper chairlifts. With these improvements, Hyland Hills Ski Area became popular again.
Ski and Snowboard Clubs
Hyland Hills is home to many different ski and snowboard clubs. These clubs are for various ages and skill levels. One of them is Three Rivers Racing. This is an Alpine skiing club for young people aged 6 to 21. It offers excellent coaching for skiers who want to improve. Some racers trained here have competed in national, World Cup, and even Olympic races.
Hyland also hosts both USSA freestyle skiing and racing teams. The G Team, a top snowboard club in the Midwest, also trains here. The Minneapolis Ski Club offers Nordic Ski Jumping training. They use the ski jump located at Hyland.
Winter Activities at Hyland Hills
Hyland Hills offers many fun activities during the winter season.
- Alpine skiing
- Night skiing
- Snowboarding
- Nordic skiing
- Snowshoeing
- Ski jumping
Summer Fun at the Park
The park is also open during the off-season for different activities.
- Auto Shows
- Outdoor cinema
- Live music
- Chairlift rides
- Hiking
- Happy hour