The Howelsen Hill Ski Area is a small ski area located on Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. As such, it is not a typical downhill ski area, but is solely used for Winter Sports and Olympic snow events and has produced over 70 Olympians. With a vertical drop of 440 feet (134 m), it has one chair lift, two carpets and one Poma lift[1]. It has a bobsled track and a series of ski jumps, the largest being a 90 meter jump. The local youth ski team, the Steamboat Winter Sports Club, practices at the area, along with various ski jumpers in training, including U.S. Ski Team Jumpers.
Construction of the first ski jump on Howelson Hill began in the summer of 1914. The jump was completed and the area was open for recreation in time for the second annual Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Carnival that was held in 1915.[2] This is the oldest continuously operating ski area in Colorado. On an area once known as Elk Park, a former small game preserve, it was renamed in 1917 for Carl Howelsen, the Norwegian immigrant who established it. The alpine area was established in 1931.
Howelsen Hill Ski Area has sent more skiers to international competition than any other area in North America. It is the oldest ski area in continuous use in Colorado, and has the largest and most complete natural ski jumping complex in North America. Howelsen has been the training ground for more than 64 Olympians making over 90 Winter Olympic appearances, 15 members of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame and 6 members of the National Ski Hall of fame. Howelsen Hill is open to the public and is owned and operated by the City of Steamboat Springs Parks, Open Space and Recreation Department.