Skiers and snowboarders at Ruby Hill Rail Yard could save themselves some steps in the future.
Located at a city park in south Denver, the rail yard offers snow-covered jumps, rails and other features each winter, all for free. But since its inception in 2007, snowboarders and skiers have had to hike back to the top after each run.
Now, parks officials are working on a plan to build a “surface lift” at the park. Surface lifts are like chairlifts, but riders stay on the ground — either holding onto a bar or standing on a “magic carpet.”
No timeline before the fundraiser is met
Plans for the lift are still pretty early. The Denver Park Trust, a nonprofit that supports the parks system, launched a fundraiser late last year to raise $950,000 for the project.
The effort has raised $152,000, and so far has attracted several dozen donors.
“The project is dependent on meeting the fundraising goal,” wrote parks spokesperson Yolanda Quesada.
The timeline for installation won’t be determined until the money is raised.
The city’s goal with the lift is to help make the park more accessible to people of all ages, and to help riders get more laps in, according to the fundraiser.
The ski area is 250 feet tall, according to Visit Denver. The surface lit would cover 35 vertical feet, according to a parks spokesperson.
Warm winters and an 'adventure hub'
This past winter was one of its shortest seasons ever, with dry, hot weather melting off the base after just a month. The city partners with Winter Park Resort to make a 2-foot base of snow covering an acre of Ruby Hill.
Meanwhile, construction on an “outdoor adventure hub” for Ruby Hill Park is expected to conclude in 2027.
