Winter Park Unveils Plans for New Terrain, Lifts, and Upgraded Base Village

Winter Park Resort, Colorado, has recently partnered with Winter Park Recreational Association (WPRA), the Town of Winter Park, Alterra Mountain Company, and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), to unveil a new project called " Winter Park Unlocked ."

Resort officials promise that the project is "complex", "sustainable", and will be both privately and publicly funded.

But what is this new project, exactly? While the scope (and statements surrounding this project) is massive, the main points are that Winter Park is expanding its terrain and developing its base area. The terrain expansion is significant, laid out in the proposed map above.

According to one of the blog posts on Winter Park's site concerning the development plan, this project is a "multi-year, multi-phased project."

The project aims to improve the base area, provide increased connection with the town, and, of course, expand the skiable terrain.

Proposed base area improvements include improved walkability, develop more neighborhoods within the resort, update parking, create new lodging and dining options in the village, and create an "enriched village."

The terrain proposal incorporates more than just cutting trees and expanding the Vasquez Ridge terrain. According to the Master Development Plan, officials at Winter Park write that their learning area will be reimagined, there will be an on-mountain lodge for skiers to have an indoor base, and snow-making machinery will be upgraded.

The plan also includes a new ski-back trail to further connect the town and the resort. Skiers may already be familiar with the mountain passenger rail service and the aerial gondola, but a ski-back trail provides a hassle-free mode of connection between the town and mountain.

As of today, August 7th, 2024 officials at Winter Park report that these preliminary plans "have been submitted to the Winter Park Recreation Association (WPRA), Town of Winter Park, U.S. Forest Service, and other entities to understand what’s possible, how we need to adapt to best serve the environment and community, and gain public input."

Once these preliminary plans are finalized, officials at the resort will be submitting a series of Final Development Plans (FDPs) with further details of their plans before beginning the actual development--and construction will be another series of plans, phases, and updates, we can be sure.

Related: 100 Days Until Opening Day at Mammoth Mountain, California

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