Afton Alps

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Afton Alps
Afton Alps, January 2014, Sally's Valley.jpg
A run at Afton Alps, 2014
Afton Alps
Interactive map of Afton Alps
Location Denmark Township, Washington County
Nearest major city Afton, Minnesota
StatusOperating
Owner Vail Resorts
Vertical350 ft (107 m)
Top elevation700 feet (210 m)
Base elevation350 feet (110 m)
Skiable area300 acres (120 ha)
Trails 50 total
Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg - 25% beginner
Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg - 50% intermediate
Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg - 25% advanced
Lift system 17 chairlifts
4 surface lifts
Lift capacity18,150 people/hr
Snowmaking Yes
Night skiing Yes
Website Afton Alps

Afton Alps is a ski area owned by Vail Resorts which hosts a collection of ski and snowboard trails, located along the St. Croix River in the northeast corner of Denmark Township, Washington County, south of Afton, Minnesota in the United States. [1]

Contents

There are nearly 300 acres (1.2 km2) skiable at Afton Alps. The ski hill has 350 feet (110 m) of vertical drop. The Alps utilizes an extensive snowmaking system for maintaining the slopes during the winter months. There are a total of 36 trails with 15 chairlifts, three conveyor lifts (including one tubing lift), and a double-sided rope tow in the Landing Zone Terrain Park. There are five chalets, including the Meadows Chalet, the Highlands Chalet, the Alpine Chalet, Landing Zone (also has a Yurt) and the Alps Chalet (Main Chalet).

History

Brothers Paul and Bob Augustine and fellow farmer Paul Furlong opened Afton Alps on December 21, 1962, after having begun clearing trees just two months earlier in October. [2] Thirty seven people attended on the first day, using tow ropes and one T-bar lift powered by a tractor engine. [3] [4] A chalet came along soon after. [1] Two new chalets were opened in 1968. [5] By 1971, Afton had six chairlifts, the most of any Midwest ski area outside of Michigan. [1] Soon after, by 1974, Afton had three T-bar lifts, 12 chairlifts, and a poma lift. [4] In 1976, Afton claimed over 200,000 visitors annually, who utilized 17 lifts and four chalets which cost $7.50 for a daily lift ticket ($41.44 in 2024). [6]

The Augustine brothers purchase Paul Furlong's share in the 1990s. When Paul Augustine died in 2011, his children John, David, and Amy took over operations. [7]

Afton opened a snow tubing park, with 150 feet of vertical drop along a 1,000-foot run, in December 1997. [8] By 2010, it had 18 chairlifts and 49 trails. [9]

Acquisition by Epic

Vail Resorts announced December 6, 2012, their purchase of Afton Alps for $20 million in cash ($27.4 million in 2024). Vail stated their intention was to focus on building up season passes and customer loyalty at small resorts to entice people to venture to their western offerings. [10] At the time of acquisition, Afton had 28 trails and 18 lifts across slightly less than 300 acres. [3] Vail announced plans to invest $10 million into projects to improve the resort, including 72 new snowmaking machines, a new ski school, and upgrades to the dining areas. [11] Other announced improvements included upgrades to roads, drainage, and technology. [7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Afton Explodes Like 'Supernova'". Star Tribune. January 8, 1971. p. 14. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  2. ↑ Thornton, Ralph (February 6, 1964). "Farmers Build Ski Slide". The Minneapolis Star. p. 4B. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Bjorhus, Jennifer (December 7, 2012). "Afton Alps sold to giant Vail Resorts". Star Tribune. pp. D1, D2 . Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Kern, Ben (February 10, 1974). "Afton Alps has outgrown early hopes of its owners". Star Tribune. p. 106.
  5. ↑ "Afton Alps to Open With Two New Chairlifts". Star Tribune. November 17, 1968. pp. H9. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Afton Alps' 17 chairlifts make area a mini-Aspen". The Minneapolis Star. November 4, 1976. pp. 3D. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Styx, Katrina (March 29, 2013). "49 years of success: Hastings family founded Afton Alps on hard work". Republican Eagle. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  8. ↑ Weiss, John (January 2, 1998). "Snowtubing: Fun on the hill at its most basic". Post-Bulletin. pp. 6C.
  9. ↑ "Hitting the slopes closer to home". Star Tribune. November 7, 2010. pp. G6. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Vail Resorts to buy Afton Alps". The Austin Daily Herald. Associated Press. December 7, 2012. p. 13. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  11. ↑ Cropp, Avery (January 6, 2014). "50 years of Afton Alps". hometownsource.com.

44°51′20″N92°47′21″W / 44.85556°N 92.78917°W / 44.85556; -92.78917

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