# What States Do Not Have Any Commercial Downhill Ski Areas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427 "2001-08-21T21:50:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/1 "2001-08-21T21:50:13Z")
I have driven across the country several times and I am always amazed at the strange places that do have downhill skiing even if it is only a Mom-and-Pop operation with only a tiny hill and some snow making equipment. For instance, I have heard that you can ski in Hawaii if you really want to and even some southern states offer skiing part of the year. This made me wonder which states have absolutely no outdoor commercial downhill snow skiing. The only states that I am sure that don’t are Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. The rest are still a possibility. Can you help me figure this out. If you reply, please modify my list so that we do not repeat ourselves. State Offers Skiing? Alabama - Not sure Alaska - Yes Arizona - Probably Arkansas - Not Sure California - Yes Colorado - Yes Connecticut - Probably Delaware - Not Sure Florida - No Georgia - Not Sure Hawaii - Maybe (Read something about this once) Idaho - Yes Illinois - Probably Indiana - Maybe Iowa - Maybe Kansas - Maybe Kentucky - Not Sure Louisiana - No Maine - Yes Maryland - Not Sure Massachusetts - Yes Michigan - Not Sure Minnesota - Yes Mississippi - No Missouri - Not Sure Montana - Yes Nebraska - Not Sure Nevada - Not Sure New Hampshire - Yes New Jersey - Not Sure New Mexico - Yes New York - Yes North Carolina - Yes North Dakota - Not Sure Ohio - Not Sure Oklahoma - Not Sure Oregon - Yes Pennsylvania - Yes Rhode Island - Not Sure South Carolina - Not Sure South Dakota - Not Sure Tennessee - Not Sure Texas - No? Utah - Yes Vermont - Yes Virginia - Yes Washington - Yes West Virginia - Yes Wisconsin - Not Sure Wyoming - Yes ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/2 "2001-08-21T22:01:25Z")
Alabama has at least one ski slope – Cloudmont Golf & Ski Resort. It ain’t much, but it does feature a ski slope. It’s in the northeast corner of the state, above Fort Payne, roughly 40 miles south of Chattanooga. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/3 "2001-08-21T22:06:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shagnasty \* > \*\* > > State Offers Skiing? > > Arizona - Yes > Delaware - No > Florida - No > Georgia - No > Indiana - Yes (Perfect North Slopes) > Kentucky - Yes? (Butler State Park) > Maryland - Yes (Wisp) > > Michigan - Yes (Iron Mountain?) > Ohio - Yes (near Mansfield?) > Tennessee - Yes (Near Pigeon Forge) > \*\* I could be a bit off on some of these, particularly Kentucky) ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/4 "2001-08-21T22:10:24Z")
The slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa in Hawaii can get up to several meters of snowpack each winter. They really are very tall mountains. I have no idea how commercial it is, but you can see some pictures of skiing on Mauna Kea here: [http://www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com/Photos/Mk/index.html](http://www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com/Photos/Mk/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![navtechie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@navtechie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/navtechie)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/5 "2001-08-21T22:22:18Z")
NOrth Dakota: Yes WIsconsin: Yes (sorta like the upper penisula of michigan) Iowa: Yes South Dakota: Yes ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/6 "2001-08-21T22:29:35Z")
Kansas - not a chance. The highest point in Kansas that’s not a building is a highway overpass. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/7 "2001-08-21T22:40:09Z")
Alabama - YES Arizona - YES Illinois - YES Indiana - YES Iowa - YES Michigan - YES Minnesota - YES Missouri - YES North Dakota - YES South Dakota - YES Ohio - YES Wisconsin - YES Georgia - YES Maryland - YES N. Carolina - YES Tennessee - YES Virginia - YES W. Virginia - YES Alaska - YES Hawaii - Absolutely Not ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/8 "2001-08-21T22:41:52Z")
[Here’s a list.](http://www.goski.com/usa.htm) ---
**Author:** ![jaimest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jaimest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaimest)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/9 "2001-08-21T22:49:53Z")
There is a place in Texas that has snow skiing, albeit in a very artificial setting. [http://www.texas-on-line.com/graphic/jacksonv.htm](http://www.texas-on-line.com/graphic/jacksonv.htm) ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/10 "2001-08-21T23:02:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kamandi \* > \*\*Kansas - not a chance. The highest point in Kansas that’s not a building is a highway overpass. \*\* \ In fact, here we have a picture of the summit of awe-inspiring Kansas high point, “Mount Sunflower”: [http://www.americasroof.com/ks.shtml](http://www.americasroof.com/ks.shtml) \ ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/11 "2001-08-21T23:14:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shagnasty \* > **Oklahoma - Not Sure** Definitely not. Snow only accumulates in the panhandle and far northwestern region of the state for anything more than a week at a time. Those areas are unremarkably flat for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/12 "2001-08-21T23:19:27Z")
Rhode Island - YES ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/13 "2001-08-21T23:42:57Z")
Kentucky - YES So the only states AFAIK w/o ski resorts are: Florida Mississippi Louisiana Texas Oklahoma Arkansas Kansas Nebraska ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/14 "2001-08-21T23:57:22Z")
You can take Kansas off that list _pace_ **Kamandi**. It has (or used to have) the Mont Bleu Ski Area, with a vertical rise of 230 feet. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/15 "2001-08-22T00:28:54Z")
According to [http://www.skihawaii.com](http://www.skihawaii.com) there is, or at least used to be, a guide service that provided ski and snowboard tours of Mauna Kea. Does that make it a commercial operation? No lifts, lodges, etc. The only other thing I have to contribute is about Rhode Island. The Ocean State has one and only one downhill ski area…Yawgoo, which as of last year was still open. I have never been there, but it always somehow manages to hold on. If you’re interested in mom and pop ski operations, you might want to check out [http://www.nelsap.org](http://www.nelsap.org) The New England Lost Ski Areas Project. There’s a big list of now defunct areas, some with maps, pictures, etc. I find many of the entries rather poignant. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/16 "2001-08-22T03:15:16Z")
Take Nebraska off the list. My family lives just a few miles south of “Prairie Hills,” a man-made ski area. There’s also one near Lincoln, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find some up in the Sandhills. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/17 "2001-08-22T04:21:31Z")
Arkansas has none, unless someone’s opened one recently. When I was a kid, however, the story was different. Someone (someone named Jess Odom, actually) got the bright idea to build a winter sports complex at Marble Falls, right next to the Dogpatch U.S.A. theme park. They had miserable luck with the weather and other problems for four years, and finally packed it in for good in 1977 (I lived seven miles away from Dogpatch/Marble Falls in 1975-1976). You can read the whole sordid [Dogpatch/Marble Falls saga](http://www.aristotle.net/~russjohn/attractions/dogpatch.html) on Russ Johnson’s [Arkansas Traveler](http://www.aristotle.net/~russjohn/index.html) pages. ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/18 "2001-08-22T15:29:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > \*\*You can take Kansas off that list _pace_ **Kamandi**. It has (or used to have) the Mont Bleu Ski Area, with a vertical rise of 230 feet. \*\* Hmmm… I guess it’s not there any more. I lived in Wichita for three of the last four years, and nobody in any of the ski shops there (yes, they do have ski shops!) had heard of any ski operations of any kind in Kansas. We had to drive eight hours to Colorado Springs. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/19 "2001-08-22T15:46:52Z")
Does South Carolina have any ski areas? That state is not accounted for yet. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427/20 "2001-08-22T15:51:28Z")
I’ll confirm Mississippi has NO ski-able area. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-do-not-have-any-commercial-downhill-ski-areas/77427.md?page=2)