Ruby Hill Terrain Park facts for kids
Ruby Hill Rail Yard is a cool place in Denver, Colorado, where you can ski and snowboard. It's a special kind of park called a terrain park, located in Ruby Hill Park. Many groups help make it happen, like Winter Park Resort, Denver Parks and Recreation, and others. It’s a fantastic spot for winter sports right in the city!
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Welcome to Ruby Hill Rail Yard!
Ruby Hill Rail Yard first opened in January 2007. It was the very first free terrain park in a downtown area in the whole USA! The idea came from Winter Park Resort. They wanted to get young people in the city excited about winter sports.
What is Ruby Hill Rail Yard?
This park started as an experiment. It quickly became a huge success! In its first year, about 3,000 young people and adults visited. The next year, over 6,000 people came to have fun. Because it was so popular, the city of Denver now makes Ruby Hill Rail Yard an annual park. This means it's a regular part of Denver's winter fun.
How the Park Started
The Ruby Hill Rail Yard is part of a bigger place called Ruby Hill Park. This park is quite large, covering 88 acres. It was bought by the city in 1954. The park got its name from the red stones found in the nearby Platte River. There's a high bluff in Ruby Hill Park. It offers amazing views of Denver's skyline. Long ago, Native Americans used this spot as a lookout point.
Making Snow for Fun
To have snow at Ruby Hill Rail Yard, workers have to make it. They produce enough artificial snow to cover about one acre of land. They usually blow the snow in January. The goal is for it to last through the rest of the winter, if the weather helps.
Why Artificial Snow Lasts Longer
Man-made snow is great for this park because it melts slower than natural snow. Natural snow has less water in it. But man-made snow has a lot more water. This extra water makes the snow denser, or heavier. Denser snow doesn't melt as quickly when the sun shines on it. Also, Ruby Hill is set up to face the northeast. This means less sun hits the snow in the middle of the day. This helps the snow last for many weeks!
Water for Snow: No Waste!
It takes about one million gallons of water to cover Ruby Hill. This creates a snow base of 2 to 3 feet deep. When the snow eventually melts, the water goes back into the plants and ground around the park. The City of Denver and Denver Water have an agreement. The city uses less water in the summer. This amount is equal to the water used for snowmaking. So, no water is wasted; it's just used at a different time.
What Can You Do There?
Ruby Hill Park is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. The rail yard stays open during the winter. It closes when the artificial snow finally melts away. The park has lights, so you can even use the hill at night until 9 p.m.!
Rails and Other Fun
Ruby Hill does not have any lifts or T-bars. This means you have to hike up the hill to use the terrain park. There are seven different rails to try. They come in beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. This way, everyone can find something fun to do! Sometimes, there are special events and contests. Denver Parks and Recreation also runs youth programs here. Besides the terrain park, other areas are perfect for sledding and other winter activities.
When is it Open?
The terrain park is always free to use. It's open to everyone! Skiers, snowboarders, and people on sleds or inner tubes all love coming here.
Year-Round Fun at Ruby Hill
Ruby Hill Park is not just for winter. In the summer, it has an outdoor swimming pool. There are also baseball fields and a handicap accessible playground. It's a popular spot for picnics and flying kites when the weather is warm.
More Places to Explore
- Echo Mountain Park
- Winter Park Resort
- Keystone Resort
- Monarch Ski Area
- Ruby Hill, Denver
