Great Bear Recreation Park

Last updated
Great Bear Recreation Park
Great Bear ski hill4.JPG
Location Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
Nearest major city Sioux Falls (6 miles NE of downtown)
Coordinates 43°34′55.56″N96°39′53.88″W / 43.5821000°N 96.6649667°W / 43.5821000; -96.6649667
Vertical178 feet (54 m)
Top elevation1,530 feet (470 m)
Base elevation1,352 feet (412 m)
Trails 14 total
Lift system 4 total
Terrain parks 1 total
Website http://www.greatbearpark.com

Great Bear Recreation Park, more commonly referred to as Great Bear, is a small ski hill in the northeastern section of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the United States. It is owned by the City of Sioux Falls, and co-managed by Great Bear Recreation Park Inc.

Contents

History

Great Bear Ski Area was established in 1966 by Ron Clifford and later sold to Dennis Finke and Jerry Dirks in 1969. Great Bear started out as an old gravel pit with one rope tow and two runs. One longer run to the left of the rope tow and one shorter run to the right. Dennis and Jerry built the first chalet at the ski area. In the early days Great Bear was open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday expanding hours in the 1970s to every day. By the early 1970s Great Bear had expanded to three rope tows and seven runs. Great Bear began expanding into a year-round recreation park in the summer of 1998. The renovation of the Chalet at Great Bear was completed December 2001 and offers a 270-degree panoramic view of the surrounding area. The 2002 completion of the Ralph and Doris Wallin Nature Trail System marked the completion of the Great Bear Expansion Project and officially opened the park to four-season use.

Facilities

Great Bear Ski Valley, eastern South Dakota's largest ski resort, features over 220 acres of outdoor fun just minutes from downtown Sioux Falls. In the winter, the park features 14 downhill ski trails with 3 lifts (quad chairlift, magic carpet, and handle tow) and a terrain park. The Kirby Family Tubing Park has 8 to 12 lanes with a magic carpet lift. Both the ski and tubing hills have snowmaking. The park also has 4 miles of cross country and snow shoeing trails that provide. Great Bear offers lessons and complete equipment rentals.

The park also features a chalet offering a selection of food and beverage and ample seating. Great Bear does not offer onsite lodging.

In the summer, The Ralph and Doris Wallin Nature trail system, nearly 4 miles of trails, provides 3 distinct trail loops through hills and valleys with scenic views. Bicycling is not allowed on the trails. The lodge is also rented out for private events during the spring, summer and fall months including company retreats and weddings.


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicopee Ski Club</span> Recreation club in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort is a winter and summer recreation club in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, founded Dec. 29, 1934, as a not-for-profit organisation on 165 acres (0.67 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Hills Ski Area</span> Ski area in Canton, Massachusetts

Blue Hills Ski Area is located on the western face of Great Blue Hill in Canton, Massachusetts. This land is part of the Blue Hills Reservation, a state park managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Hood Skibowl</span> Ski area in Oregon, United States

Mount Hood Skibowl is a recreation area on Mount Hood located near Government Camp, Oregon. It is the largest night ski area in the United States, and the total skiable area encompasses an area of 960 acres (388 ha). The resort is the closest ski venue to Portland, with an elevation of 3,600 feet (1,097 m) at the lodge, rising to just over 5,000 feet (1,524 m) at the summit. The average snowfall at the area is 300 inches (762 cm), with an average consolidated base around 100 inches (254 cm) and 65 marked trails. An adventure park in the area includes alpine slides, zip-line, and bungee jumping. As well as other outdoor activities. Just across the highway is Government Camp, the focal point of Mount Hood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashoba Valley Ski Area</span> Ski area in Westford, Massachusetts

Nashoba Valley Ski Area is a ski area in Westford, Massachusetts, United States, located at 79 Powers Road. It borders on Littleton, Massachusetts and has been operating each winter since opening in 1964. It has 17 ski trails as well as a terrain park and tubing park. The tubing park has 16 runs served by two Poma handle tows and a Sun-Kid Conveyor; this is on the same property, but has a separate entrance on Route 119 in Littleton, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkshire East Ski Resort</span> Ski resort in Charlemont, Massachusetts, United States

Berkshire East Ski Resort is a medium-sized alpine ski area in the northeastern United States, located in the Berkshires on Mount Institute in Charlemont and Hawley, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Summit at Snoqualmie</span> Resort in Washington, United States

The Summit at Snoqualmie is a recreation area in the northwest United States, located on Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. It provides alpine skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing, mountain biking, winter tubing, and scenic lift rides. Owned and managed by Boyne Resorts, it is 52 miles (80 km) east of downtown Seattle on Interstate 90.

Boler Mountain, previously known as the London Ski Club, is a not for profit recreation club in London, Ontario. The mountain is located in the western suburban neighbourhood of Byron and is used for skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing in the winter and for mountain biking, hiking, zip lining, and beach volleyball in the summer. Despite its title, it is more accurately described as a hill than a mountain. The facility is relatively small but very conveniently located for Londoners. After the 2012 completion of the West Hill expansion, Boler has 3 quad chairlifts, a magic carpet and a tube carpet serving 16 trails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surface lift</span> Type of cable transport for snow sports

A surface lift is a type of cable transport for snow sports in which skiers and snowboarders remain on the ground as they are pulled uphill. While they were once prevalent, they have been overtaken in popularity by higher-capacity and higher-comfort aerial lifts, such as chairlifts and gondola lifts. Today, surface lifts are most often found on beginner slopes, small ski areas, and peripheral slopes. They are also often used to access glacier ski slopes because their supports can be anchored in glacier ice due to the lower forces and realigned due to glacier movement.

Horseshoe Resort, formerly Horseshoe Valley Ski Club, is an Ontario ski resort and four season vacation destination. Located north of Barrie, the resort is 110 km north of Toronto. The resort enjoys a long ski season due to snow making abilities. Acquired by Freed Hotels and Resorts in 2021, Horseshoe Resort is spread out over 680 acres (280 ha) of land. The resort offers 28 ski runs, over 30 kilometres of Nordic trails, 12-hole Valley golf course, Amba Spa, 101 rooms at the on-site inn, 40 condo-style suites, two year-round restaurants, 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2) of meeting and banquet facilities, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a full gym, and over 25 miles (40 km) of trails connected to the Copeland Forest suitable for hiking, biking and snowshoeing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nub's Nob</span> Ski area in Michigan, United States

Nub's Nob is a ski area in Pleasantview Township, Michigan, United States. It is near Harbor Springs. Opened by Norman and Dorie Sarns in 1958 as a small ski hill, it has sprawled out to a fairly large ski destination with nine lifts. The area gets its name from the nickname of founder Norman "Nubby" Sarns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyland Hills Ski Area</span> Ski area in Minnesota, United States

Hyland Hills Ski Area is a ski area in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States, just south of Minneapolis. It is owned and operated by Three Rivers Park District. As a popular destination located near the Mall of America, Hyland receives 160,000 visitors per year. While Minnesota's winters are cold, the average snowfall is low for a ski area ; due to this, there is often use of artificial snow to help maintain the viability of the slopes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boreal Mountain Resort</span> Ski area in California, United States

Boreal Mountain California is a ski area in Soda Springs, near the Lake Tahoe area of California. It has six chairlifts and two surface lifts, and offers the only night skiing in Tahoe, until 8 pm. It is owned by Powdr Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfect North Slopes</span> Ski area in Indiana, United States

Perfect North Slopes is an alpine skiing resort in Southeastern Indiana. It consists of five magic carpets, two rope tows, and five chairlifts. The area has 23 trails, one of which is expert, three of which are most difficult, two of which are advanced intermediate, 12 of which are intermediate, and five of which are beginner. Lessons are available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diefenbaker Management Area, Saskatoon</span> Neighbourhood in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

The Diefenbaker Management Area is an area of Saskatoon, to the west of the Exhibition subdivision. The area includes Diefenbaker Park and the Nutana Pioneer Cemetery. The park is a frequently-used venue for picnics public events, and performances. The park also includes Optimist Hill, which is a hill used for skiing, tobogganing, and snowboarding in the winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ski Snow Valley</span>

Ski Snow Valley is a ski resort located in Minesing, Ontario, north of Barrie Ontario. It has 3 ski lifts and a snow tubing facility operating in the winter. In the summers, Snow Valley offers weddings, banquet and corporate events. Ski Snow Valley was named "best Ontario hill for kids" by Ski Canada Magazine in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bousquet Mountain</span> Ski area in Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Bousquet Mountain is a local ski area serving skiing and snowboarding located on a northern summit of Yokun Ridge in Pittsfield, Massachusetts within the Taconic Mountain Range. It is now owned by Mill Town Capital and shares a Summit pass with Berkshire East and Catamount Ski Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald M. Gordon Chinguacousy Park</span>

Donald M. Gordon Chinguacousy Park, colloquially known as Chinguacousy Park, is a large 40-hectare (100-acre) park in the Bramalea section of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by Queen Street East on the southeast, Bramalea Road on the northeast, and Central Park Drive on the north and west sides. Terry Fox Stadium (Brampton) in the north of the park, sometimes called Terry Fox Track and Field Stadium, has a track and field oval surrounding an artificial turf field with Canadian Football markings and stands for about 1000 spectators. It is used for various Canadian football and soccer matches as well as track and field competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Granite Gorge Ski Area</span> Downhill ski resort

Granite Gorge is a small downhill ski resort in southwest New Hampshire, United States. It is located on Pinnacle Mountain in the town of Roxbury, 5 miles (8 km) east of downtown Keene on New Hampshire Route 9. The resort is the reincarnation of the former Pinnacle Peak Ski Area, which operated from 1959 to 1977. The current resort opened in 2003.

Trollhaugen is a ski resort located in Dresser, Wisconsin. The ski area consists of 30 trails, including 3 terrain parks. In addition to offering ski and snowboard opportunities, Trollhaugen offers 10 lanes of snow tubing during the winter, as well as zip lining and a 120 element aerial challenge course in the summer. Trollhaugen offers NASTAR events throughout the season. Trollhaugen is notable for their terrain park, rated the 3rd best in the Midwest Region by TransWorld Snowboarding Magazine. Trollhaugen is also known for being open until 3am on Friday nights in the winter for late night skiing and snowboarding.