Tamarack Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tamarack Resort |
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 Tamarack Resort
Location in Idaho
Tamarack Resort
Location in the United States
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| Location | Valley County, Idaho, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Boise: 90 miles (145 km) |
| Coordinates | 44°40′16″N 116°07′23″W / 44.671°N 116.123°W |
| Vertical | 2,760 ft (841 m) |
| Top elevation | 7,660 ft (2,335 m) |
| Base elevation | 4,900 ft (1,494 m) |
| Skiable area | 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) |
| Runs | 50 - 17% novice - 45% intermediate - 38% advanced |
| Lift system | 7 chairlifts - 3 hi-speed quad - 2 fixed quad - 2 surface |
| Terrain parks | 3 |
| Snowfall | 300 in (760 cm) |
| Snowmaking | Lower runs |
| Night skiing | None |
| Website | Tamarack Idaho.com |
Tamarack Resort is a fun place to visit all year round in west central Idaho. It's about 90 miles north of Boise and sits right by Lake Cascade, close to the small town of Tamarack.
When it first opened in 2004, Tamarack was the first new ski resort built in North America in 23 years! It's special because it offers adventures from the top of the mountain all the way down to the lake. Since 2018, new owners have been making lots of improvements to make it even better for guests.
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What Can You Do at Tamarack?
Tamarack Resort is a place for all seasons, located in the beautiful Idaho mountains. It's about 90 miles north of Boise. You can find places to stay, eat, shop, and enjoy many outdoor activities here.
In the summer, you can go mountain biking, ziplining, hiking, and even whitewater rafting. There are also lots of fun water sports on the warm Lake Cascade.
When winter arrives, the resort offers 1,100 acres of skiable land for skiing and snowboarding. The mountain has a vertical drop of 2,800 feet! You can also try fat tire biking, Nordic skiing (cross-country skiing), and snowshoeing on special trails.
The main hub of activity is called The Village at Tamarack. It's super convenient because you can ski right to and from your lodging there!
Skiing and Snowboarding Fun
Tamarack's highest point for skiing is on West Mountain, at about 7,660 feet (2,335 m) above sea level. The mountain has a big vertical drop of over 2,760 feet (840 m), which means a long ride down!
The resort has several chairlifts to take you up the mountain. These include fast "hi-speed" quad chairlifts and regular "fixed-grip" quad chairlifts. For beginners, there are also "surface lifts" like a Poma lift and a "magic carpet" ride at the base of the mountain.
West Mountain gets a lot of snow, about 300 inches (760 cm) each year! They also have snowmaking machines on the lower slopes to make sure there's always enough snow.
The ski trails are rated for different skill levels:
- 17% are for beginners (novice).
- 45% are for intermediate skiers.
- 38% are for advanced skiers.
If you enjoy cross-country skiing, Tamarack has over 30 km (19 mi) of special trails for you to explore.
Cozy Places to Stay
Tamarack Resort has many different places to stay right on the mountain. You can choose from hotel rooms at the Lodge at Osprey Meadows, or rent cottages, chalets, townhouses, and even large estate homes.
- The Lodge offers hotel rooms and condos.
- Cottages are bigger and great for groups, often including a fireplace and laundry.
- Townhouses are perfect if you want to ski right out your door, as they are close to the chairlifts.
- Custom chalets and estate homes offer the most space and comfort, with amazing views. Many also have ski-in, ski-out access.
Staying at the Lodge also gives you access to cool amenities like a spa, a pool, a hot tub, a gym, and various dining options.
The Village at Tamarack
The Village at Tamarack Resort is a central area with six buildings. It has over 47,000 square feet of space for shops, restaurants, and guest services. Above these, there are luxury apartments called condominiums.
The Village even has heated underground parking! The first 56 apartments in The Village were ready in October 2019. They range from small studio apartments to large three-bedroom penthouses.
History of Tamarack Resort
The idea for Tamarack Resort started way back in the early 1980s. It was first called Valbois, but faced many challenges and closed in 1995.
A few years later, in 1998, a new group of investors decided to try again. They changed some plans and called the project WestRock. Then, in December 2002, the name was changed to "Tamarack." This name comes from the tamarack larch tree, which is a special type of pine tree that loses its needles in the fall, turning them yellow first.
Construction at Tamarack Resort began in 2003. The ski area officially opened with chairlift service on December 15, 2004.
Over the years, the resort faced some financial difficulties. It had to close for the 2009-2010 ski season. However, it reopened on December 20, 2010, with five of its seven chairlifts working. The Tamarack Municipal Association (TMA) helped manage the resort and restart many of its facilities.
One of the high-speed chairlifts was removed in 2012.
Golf Course
Tamarack Resort also has a golf course called Osprey Meadows. It was designed by a famous golf course designer, Robert Trent Jones II. The first nine holes opened in 2005, and all 18 holes were ready in May 2006.
The golf course is located near The Village and the ski area base. It's a challenging course with many bunkers. After some financial troubles, the golf course reopened in July 2009 but later closed again in 2015.
Celebrity Visits
In August 2005, then-President of the United States, George W. Bush, and his wife, Laura Bush, stayed at Tamarack. This visit brought a lot of attention to the resort from all over the country. They were guests of Dirk Kempthorne, who was the governor of Idaho at the time.
In 2006, famous tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf had plans to develop a luxury project at Tamarack. However, after some delays, they decided to withdraw from the project in 2008.
New Beginnings
Tamarack Resort got a new owner on November 30, 2018. The new ownership group, called Tamarack Resort Holdings, is made up of several companies. They own or have operated properties at other well-known resorts like Whistler Blackcomb and Mammoth.
The new owners are excited to continue developing the resort. A big part of their plan is to finish building The Village Plaza, which had been partly built for 12 years. They also plan to bring back the popular Wildwood Express ski lift, which was removed in 2012. They hope to complete most of this work for the 2019-2020 ski season.
The golf course was not part of this new purchase, and its future plans are not yet known.
The 2019–2020 Season
As planned, the Wildwood Express ski lift was reinstalled for the 2019-2020 season! This is a fast quad-chairlift that takes you up 1646 feet in just 6 minutes. It added more than 200 acres of new skiable terrain for everyone to enjoy.
Also, 56 new ski-in, ski-out condo apartments in The Village were finished and put up for sale. Work has also restarted on other buildings and facilities in The Village. When everything is complete, The Village will have 6 buildings with 47,000 square feet of space for shops and restaurants.
Several new restaurants were planned to open for the 2020-2021 season, and construction in The Village is still ongoing.
The 2020–2021 Season
The resort was scheduled to open for the winter season on December 11.
The Village finally opened for the 2020 season with new dining options! There are 5 restaurants:
- Pizza
- Summit Bowls
- Tilted Taco
- The Alpine Dinner
- The Reserve, which is a fancy but casual restaurant with Mediterranean and Italian food.
The 7 Devils Pub and the Canoe Grill closed permanently before this season. A new Mountain Bites food truck also opened in The Village.
Images for kids
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View from the top of West Mountain, overlooking Lake Cascade to the east
