For over half a century, the world has flocked to Wyoming in the winter for the epic skiing. With more than 100 mountain ranges spread out across the state and an average annual snowfall of over 80 inches – some areas of the Cowboy State get more than 13 feet each year – it’s a skier’s dream come true.
Considering the sheer amount of skiable terrain, it might be surprising to learn that there are fewer than a dozen ski resorts in Wyoming, and even more surprising that there aren’t as many now as there used to be. In fact, there’s an all but forgotten ski area hiding in the Bighorn Mountains in the northern part of the state. Several small towns encircle it, making it a convenient ski destination for communities that aren’t near the larger, more popular resorts; yet it sits deserted and looking like a ghost town.
Once the snow flies, the Bighorn Mountains offer awesome skiing conditions. That’s why there used to be a ski area right there amid the unspoiled wilderness surrounding the majestic mountain range.
Antelope Butte/Facebook
Antelope Butte Ski Area is about 60 miles west of Sheridan, and it’s surrounded by a number of smaller towns including Buffalo, Ten Sleep, Worland, and Greybull.
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Opened in 1960, it used to be a premier place to ski back in the day, drawing in skiers from near and far.
Jurassic Cowboy/TripAdvisor Antelope Butte Ski Area was the place local kids learned how to ski and where skiers of all ages and skills from nearby communities came for affordable fun. What’s more, it’s close enough to the Wyoming/Montana border that it was a convenient place for Montana skiers to come for a day or to make a weekend out of it.
Relatively small by today’s standards, Antelope Butte Ski Area was popular enough that management was looking positively ahead into the future, planning expansion and the addition of more runs.
Antelope Butte/Facebook More trails were added to the original handful, but it wasn’t enough to keep the lodge doors open or the ski lifts running.
Though the little ski area was always popular with locals, the bigger resorts around the state attracted the lion’s share of tourists and out-of-state skiers.
Antelope Butte/Facebook Antelope Butte was forced to shut down in 2004.
Today, the equipment sits rusting and silent…
Antelope Butte/Facebook
…seemingly as forgotten as a ghost town…
Antelope Butte/Facebook
and buried under piles of powder that would typically delight skiers.
Antelope Butte/Facebook
The idyllic conditions at Antelope Butte haven’t gone completely unnoticed, however. It’s still a place people enjoy Nordic skiing, snowshoeing,
Antelope Butte/Facebook
…and even dog sledding.
Antelope Butte/Facebook
In fact, the Antelope Butte Foundation was started in 2011 to increase interest in the ski hill that is such an integral part of Wyoming culture.
Antelope Butte/Facebook
The foundation has diligently been fundraising and drawing attention to their cause, and has even begun remodeling the lodge.
Antelope Butte/Facebook They’ve also opened up Antelope Butte as a year-round recreation area, sponsoring summer events as well as a few wintertime activities to get the ball rolling and revitalize interest.
The goal is to reopen the ski area and continue adding more runs…
Antelope Butte/Facebook
…so more generations of skiers and snowboarders - local as well as visitors - can experience how amazing Antelope Butte is.
Antelope Butte/Facebook Who knows? Maybe the hill will be open for business next winter.
Did you get a chance to ski Antelope Butte before it closed down?
Antelope Butte/Facebook
Google Maps
Jurassic Cowboy/TripAdvisor
Antelope Butte Ski Area was the place local kids learned how to ski and where skiers of all ages and skills from nearby communities came for affordable fun. What’s more, it’s close enough to the Wyoming/Montana border that it was a convenient place for Montana skiers to come for a day or to make a weekend out of it.
More trails were added to the original handful, but it wasn’t enough to keep the lodge doors open or the ski lifts running.
Antelope Butte was forced to shut down in 2004.
They’ve also opened up Antelope Butte as a year-round recreation area, sponsoring summer events as well as a few wintertime activities to get the ball rolling and revitalize interest.
Who knows? Maybe the hill will be open for business next winter.
Do you know of other forgotten ski resorts hiding in the mountains of Wyoming?
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