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LOST
AREAS
Aspen
Hills Ski Slope
Barberry
Hills
Brickyard
Mall / Brick Factory *
- See Thunder
Mountain
Buffalo
Park / Buffalo Mountain
* - See: Raging
Buffalo
Camden
Park Rope Tow (Mt.
Camden)
- Milan IL - northwest
Illinois
- Google
Maps / Google
Earth
41.42582899347047, -90.56383252935717
41°25'33.0"N 90°33'49.8"W
- Ski,
Sled, or Skate - Quad City
Times, Dec. 31, 1987, p. 48
- Hit
the slopes, ride the hills,and . .
. - Quad City Times, Jan.
12, 1989, p. 52
- Facebook
Post and Comments on Skiers
and Snowboarders of the Midwest Group -
see comment by Chad Mayerhofer
Fox
Trails Sports Area
Fox
Valley Ski Hills
/ Fox River Valley
- Cary, IL - northeast Illinois - 3
mi. N of Cary RR depot, E of Crystal Lake
- v: 200 ft., o:1948?, c:
1956?
- probably opened in
1948
- no mention after 1956 (on
1956
map)
- FIRST
IN STATE: probably the
first downhill ski area in Illinois
- Maybe: Google
Maps / Google
Earth ???
42.238362818031824, -88.23095166293687
- in the Fel-Pro
RRR Conservation site of
the McHenry County Conservation District
- could be on the Chalet Hills
Golf Club just across Rawson Bridge Rd to the
north
- Please email - mark@mwlsap.org
- if you know a more precise location.
- Fox
Valley Ski Hills - The
Herald (Crystal Lake, Illinois) · Thu, Dec 22,
1949
- Fox
Valley Ski Hills Open for Long
Weekends - Chicago Tribune
(Chicago, Illinois) · Sat, Dec 23, 1950
- 1951-52
Directory Winter Sports
Playgrounds,
Page 3, - 3 tows
Chicago and North Western Railroad
- Chicagoland
Boasts Many Ski Areas -
Chicago Tribune, Sun, Feb 3, 1952
- Nearby
Areas Offer Ideal Ski Resorts
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Sun, Jan 10,
1954
- Midwestern
States Offer Winter Sport -
Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Sun, Dec 18,
1955
- Northlands
Calls Skiers, Tobaggoners -
The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois) · Thu, Jan 19,
1956
Fyre
Lake
Gander
Mountain
- Spring Grove, IL - northeast
Illinois (adjacent to Wilmot
Mountain WI, which is still
open)
- v: 200 ft.; o: 1962? c:
1973
- 6 rope tows, 3 poma
lifts
- upside
down (lodge at the
top)
- Google
Maps / Google
Earth (just south of, and
adjacent to, Wilmot Mountain Ski Area across the border
in Wisconsin)
42.49370066099, -88.19354030949593
42°29'36.6"N 88°11'36.9"W
- Ski
Conditions for Week-end -
Chicago Tribune, Feb. 23, 1962
- coloradoskihistory.com
- Innovations
Take Over at Gander Ski Resort -
Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Fri, Nov 19,
1965
- Gander
Mountain Ski Strassheim -
Chicago Tribune, Dec. 30, 1966, p. 33
- Trail
Map / Location
Map
- Illinois,
Wisconsin, and battle of Wilmot
Mountain - Chicago Tribune,
Oct 26, 2011
- The
Lost Ski Areas of Illinois
- July 1998
coloradoskihistory.com - Scroll down
- New
Ski Facilities - Sports
Illustrated, Nov. 23, 1959 - ERROR: listed under
Wisconsin
- advertisement
- GANDER
MOUNTAIN Vintage 1972 HTF LOST AREA Ski Brochure Wilmot
WISCONSIN Travel -
ebay
- Gander
Mountain Brochure1 -
ebay
- Gander
Mountain Brochure2 -
ebay
- Gander
Mountain Brochure3 -
ebay
- Gander
Mountain Patch -
ebay
- skimap.org
Hampton
Hills*
(see Illiwek
forest Preserve)
Hidden
Valley*
(see Lost
Valley)
Holiday
Park (Holiday Park
Safari Resort / Holiday House?)
Illiniwek
Forest Preserve
(Hampton Hills)
- Hampton, IL - northwest
Illinois
- Google
Maps / Google
Earth
- 41.56276536410957,
-90.40201057631305
41°33'46.0"N 90°24'07.2"W
- Ski
Heil! - Quad City Times,
Feb. 5, 1961, p. 39
- From
the notebook by Eloise -
Daily Times (Davenport, Iowa), Jan. 29, 1955
- Whee!
Let's Ski - The Daily Times
(Davenport, Iowa) · Fri, Jan 26, 1962
- Facebook
Post and Comments on Skiers
and Snowboarders of the Midwest Group -
see comment by Lauren Wolfe
- Picture
1, picture
2 - Facebook
James
Park
(Mt. Trashmore)
Lincolnshire
Resort (Marriott)
Lost
Valley (originally named
Hidden Valley)
- Spring Grove IL - northeast
Illinois - 3 1/2 miles N of Fox Lake on US 12 to Meyer
Rd. (1/2 mi. W of Wilmot Rd), to Holian Dr. to
intersection of Cherrywood Ln. slopes faced N
- now a housing
development
- v: 120 ft.; o: 1974 as Hidden
Valley, became Lost Valley in 1976 c: 1979;
- 2 chairlifts, 3 rope tows; lodge
at top
- upside
down (lodge at the
top)
- Google
Maps / Google
Earth
42.43239606548105, -88.22655237649393
42°25'56.6"N 88°13'35.6"W
- In 1978 (Skalka):
3 rope tows and 2 chairlifts
- SKI
Magazine, Jan 1978
(link)
- Picture
of Lodge -
flickr
- Spring
Grove Storytelling Facebook Page
- Hidden Valley, picture of chairlift
- The
Lost Ski Areas of Illinois
- July 1998
coloradoskihistory.com - Scroll down
- Lost
Valley ski area celebrates grand
opening - The Daily Herald
(Chicago) Jan 10, 1976.
- Spring Grove IL - northeast
Illinois
- SKI
Magazine, Dec. 1974 - Chicago Metro
Areas (Hidden Valley, third
paragraph)
- SG
ponders developing old ski hill -
Northwest Herald (Woodstock, Illinois) · 20 May
1993,
- skimap.org
Mt.
Camden*
- see Camden
Park Rope Tow
Mt.
Trashmore*
(see James
Park)
Norge
Ski Hill
Pere
Marquette
- Grafton, IL (north of St. Louis)
southwest Illinois (5 miles east of Pere Marquette State
Park Lodge on Highway 100)
- v: 420 ft.; o: 1972
(1974?)
- Google
Maps / Google
Earth ???
38.97456003321953, -90.47196906454677
38°58'28.4"N 90°28'19.1"W
Please email - mark@mwlsap.org - if you know a more
precise location.
- Ski
Area To Be Ready In December
- St. Louis Post dispatch, Sept. 24, 1972
- Pere Marquette State Park - An
Official Guide to History, Natural History, trails, and
Drives by Richard c. Keating, 2017 missiouri
Botanical Garder Press, page 16
- SKI
Magazine, Jan. 1972 -
(link)
brief mention
- The
Lost Ski Areas of Illinois
- July 1998
coloradoskihistory.com - Scroll down
Plumtree
(also called Lake Carroll) - private
Quincy
Park
- Quincy, IL - west central Ilinois
- York St.??
- Google
Maps / Google
Earth ??
39.92915105215366, -91.41513467637274
39°55'44.9"N 91°24'54.5"W
- SKI Mag, Sept. '67 ??
- The
Colorado Skiers Newsletters
- July 1998
coloradoskihistory.com, Lost Areas #26 - Published 30 Jul
1998 - Scroll down
- "QUINCY PARK ( ?? ), [very
obscure], New lift in 1967. [Sep 67 SKI]
"
Raging
Buffalo Snowboard Park
(previously called Buffalo Park and later Buffalo Mountain
)
- Algonquin, IL - northeast
Illinois
- v: 200 ft. o: 1964-83 and
1993?-2019
- now Buffalo Park Forest Preserve,
Kane County, Illinois
- Upside
down (lodge at the
top)
- Google
Maps / Google
Earth
42.14763991117609, -88.29385201372283
42°08'51.5"N 88°17'37.9"W
- 1992
Brochure 1 /
1992
Brochure 2
Thank you to Jon Pofahl
- Skiers
and Snowboarders of the Midwest Facebook
Group
- Transworld
Snowboarding Magazine
- SKI
Magazine, Dec. 1974 - Chicago Metro
Areas (scroll down)
(link)
- At
Raging Buffalo, no chance of getting snow
bored - Chicago Tribune,
Feb. 7, 2003
- Ski
Conditions for Week-end -
Chicago Tribune, Feb. 23, 1962
- The
Lost Ski Areas of Illinois
- coloradoskihistory.com -
Scroll down
- Vintage Video:
- skimap.org
Soldier
Field * (see
Winter
Wonderland)
Terrapin
Ridge Manor
Terrapin
Ridge Ski Area
- Elizabeth, Illinois (JoDaviess
County) - northwest Illinois -News articles of the time
locate it at: 5 mi. off hwy 20 on Derinda Rd. north
facing, overlooking Rush Creek, 35 mi E of Dubuque
- v: 280 ft., o: Jan.
16,1965,
snow-making
- with ski jump
- Google
Maps / Google
Earth
42.272602010957876, -90.1678621085023
about 5 mi S of 20 on Derinda Rd
- Ski
Jump To Be Built Near Elizabeth
- Freeport Journal-Standard (Freeport, Illinois) ·
Fri, Jul 31, 1964
- Area
Ski Jump Nears Completion -
Freeport Journal standard (Freeport, Illinois) Wed. Sept.
16, 1964 - thank you to David Jegerlehner
- Picture
of jump and runs - thank
you to David Jegerlehner
- New
Ski Area - advertisement -
The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) · Tue, Dec 22,
1964
- Snow
or No, Skiing Is Possible at New
Resort - The Courier
(Waterloo, Iowa) · Fri, Dec 25, 1964,
- "Six alpine-type slopes vary
from 1,200 to 2,000 feet with a vertical drop of 280
feet. Four tows provide uphill transportation, and 750
to 1,000 skiers can be accommodated daily at the
resort"
- Skiing
Open To Public At Terrapin
- Freeport Journal-Standard (Freeport, Illinois) ·
Fri, Jan 15, 1965
- 2,000
Watch Terrapin Ski Jumping Tourney
- Freeport Journal-Standard (Freeport, Illinois) ·
Mon, Feb 8, 1965
- Quad
Citians Try Skiing -- And like It!
- The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois) · Fri, Feb 12,
1965
- Ski
Jumping On Upswing At New Resort -
Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Fri, Jan 8,
1965
- Ski
Reports - The Courier
(Waterloo, Iowa) · Fri, Jan 21, 1966
- patch
- Thank you to Blair Birkett
Thunder
Mountain
- also called Brickyard Mall /
Brick Factory
- Chicago, IL - corner of Diversey
Avenue and Narragansett Avenue, 2600 N Narrangansett
Ave., entrance at Narragansett and Fullerton
- v: 285 ft. o: 1968 (one
season)
- Google
Maps / Google
Earth
41.93076429188729, -87.78749264786421
- Chicago
Gets 1st Resort in City Limits
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Fri, Dec 29,
1967
- Ski
Conditions at Resorts -
Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Fri, Feb 9,
1968
- No
Snow, But Chicago Areas Did All
Right - Chicago Tribune
(Chicago, Illinois) · Fri, Mar 22, 1968
- 50
Years Ago, Chicago Had The Biggest Ski Hill Around
(Seriously) -
dnainfo.com
Valley
View Ski Resort
Wagon
Wheel Resort
Winter
Wonderland (at Soldier
Field)
- Chicago IL
- 2 rope tows
- o: 1957 c: 1958 (one
season)
- Google
Maps / Google
Earth
41.86240106457299, -87.6167098621719
- Skiers
and snowboarders of the midwest Facebook
Group - good
picture
- Rent
Soldiers' Field For Ski Runs In Winter
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago,
Illinois) · Thu, May 30, 1957
- Plans
Soldiers' Field Skiing -
Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Thu, May 30,
1957
- Winter
Wonderland Opens At Soldier Field Dec.
7 - Chicago Daily Calumet
(Chicago, Illinois) · Fri, Dec 6, 1957
- Winter
Wonderland at Soldier Field
- The Daily Calumet (Chicago, Illinois) · Mon, Jan
13, 1958
- Thousands
Expected to Attend Winter Sports Festival In Soldier
Field's "Winter Wonderland" To Be Held Feb.
26 - Chicago Daily Calumet
(Chicago, Illinois) · Thu, Jan 30, 1958
- Ski
Conditions for Week-End -
Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Fri, Feb 21,
1958
- Plan
To Call In 1 Million In Park Bonds
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Wed, Jul 9,
1958 - read last paragraph
MWLSAP
Homepage
WORKING
ON:
Early Ski
jumps:
- Norge
- Palos Park
1926??
- Grand Beach MI
1923
location of Fox
Valley Ski Hills
location of Pere
Marquette
more on Quincy
Park
Eagle
Ridge Inn
- XC SKIING ONLY / DH SKIING IS AT NEARBLY CHESTNUT
MTN.
N of Volo, W side of Hwy 12 -
maybe N of Chain 'O Lake Super Storage
Location of Fox
Valley Ski Hills near Cary - 3
mi. N of Cary RR depot
near
Raceway
Woods
- WORKING ON
- Carpentersville, IL - northeast
Illinois - N of Raceway Woods Forest Preserve; S of
Miller Rd., W of Hwy 31
- Skiers
and Snowboarders of the Midwest Facebook
Group - see comments by
Steve Drecoll
- "There were remnants of a rope
tow (rims/wheels from cars attached to poles) just
north of Raceway Woods on the same side of Rt 31. Not
sure if they're still there."
- "I think where the rope tow was
is the property next to Raceway south of Miller Rd
(about a mile south of Raging Buffalo), the house
there is vacant, but with all the foliage I couldn't
see the upper part of the hill. Might try another
reconnaissance at a later date."
MWLSAP
Homepage
Eastern
Illinois University
? - NEVER OPENED
Highland
Park, IL - NEVER
OPENED
Mt.
Hoy^
- NEVER OPENED
Mt.
Ned - Ned Brown Forest
Preserve (Busse Woods) - NEVER OPENED
Round
Lake, IL - NEVER
OPENED
The
Windings - NEVER
OPENED
Palos
Park IL - NEVER
OPENED
Zion
Ski Hill - NEVER
OPENED
MWLSAP
Homepage
Adventure Park at Alpine Hills
- See Snowpark
at Alpine Hills
Chestnut
Mountain Resort (formerly
Chestnut Hills)
- still OPEN
- Galena, IL - northwest
Illinois
- 42.319064569087445,
-90.39377154719455
- v: 475 ft.; o: 1959
- upside
down (lodge at the
top)
- Start
Big Ski Resort at Savanna -
Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa) · Sun, Dec 14,
1958
- https://vault.si.com/vault/1961/12/04/new-ski-facilities
- Ski
Heil! - Quad City Times,
Feb. 5, 1961, p. 39 - "opened just a week
ago"
- Railroad
Shorts - Chicago Tribune
(Chicago, Illinois) · Sun, Feb 18, 1962 - "only
chairlift in Illinois"
- Ski
Resorts Lure Tourists -
Arlington Heights Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)
· Thu, Dec 27, 1962
- SKI
Magazine, Jan. 1977
- website
- skimap.org
Four
Lakes
Ski
Snowstar Winter Sports Park
- still OPEN
- Andalusia, IL - northwest
Illinois
- 41.425194926605215,
-90.7462070914352
- v: 262 ft. o: 1981
- upside
down (lodge at the
top)
- website
- skimap.org
Snowpark
at Alpine Hills
- still OPEN
- Rockford, IL
- 42.259057833370804,
-89.03132687603444
- website
- skimap.org
(0 maps)
Villa
Olivia
- still OPEN
- Bartlett, IL - northeast
Illinois
- 42.01282497123469,
-88.22013854721597
- v: 180 ft. o: 1966
- website
- skimap.org
MWLSAP
Homepage
|
Lost
Wisconsin Ski Areas Facebook Page
- omissions noted
Chicago Tribune, Feb. 21,
1964
|
ILLINOIS
