Courtesy of Andy Cross – The Denver Post
Ruby Hill Park (where Levitt Denver will open in 2016) boasts 88 acres of land, breathtaking 360 degree views of the city and, at the moment, a free snow-filled winter wonderland for urban skiers, snowboarders, inner tubers and sledders. The name of this playground for snow enthusiasts: Ruby Hill Rail Yard.
With the snow-covered Rocky Mountains right in Denver’s backyard, why is a little mid-city snow so exciting?
- There’s snow! – It sounds obvious, but it takes more work than you’d think to get that much snow into downtown Denver. Denverites claim to enjoy 300 days of sunshine. While the exact number of sunny Denver days is debatable, snow usually has a hard time sticking around Denver for long. In fact, to bring the rail yard to life, Denver Parks and Recreation, Winter Park Resort, and a team of dedicated community partners and volunteers had to join forces and use powerful snow machines around the clock to transform 1 million gallons of city water into an acre of snow that’s three feet deep.
Courtesy of winterparkresort.com
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Courtesy of David Watson – www.watsonphoto.com
Ruby Hill Rail Yard set the standard – When first launched in 2007, Ruby Hill Rail Yard became the country’s first free urban terrain park in a city’s downtown area—a place for city dwellers to practice their snowsport techniques on ramps, rails and trails, geared toward a variety of skill levels, without having to leave city limits.
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Courtesy of Andy Cross – the Denver Post
Snow access for all – Ruby Hill Rail Yard not only tackles the geographic barrier that often keeps city-dwellers from experiencing snowsports, it tackles the financial barrier as well. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, everything from park entry to gear rental is completely free. These days, hitting the slopes isn’t cheap, which keeps many families away from mountain resorts. With lift tickets, ski rentals and gas to account for, an average day on the slopes for a family of four runs about $300. For many Denverites, Ruby Hill Rail Park provides the only affordable option to try snowsports and enjoy a taste of the Rocky Mountains without having to travel to them.
The park will remain open as long as weather permits, so if you’re in Denver, bundle up and hurry over to Ruby Hill Park before this opportunity melts away!