Photo: Kathryn Scott/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Denver's Free Ski and Snowboard Park Opens This Weekend

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated Jan 24, 2025 6:36 AM ET

Looking to make some turns and hit some rails without braving the I-70 traffic? We’ve got great news for you.

Aided by a recent cold snap, the Ruby Hill Rail Yard, a free skiing and snowboarding terrain park in Denver, Colorado, opens this weekend according to local media reports.

Started in 2007, the free terrain park will welcome the first skiers and riders of the season on Sunday, January 26th. Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the nearby Winter Park Resort work as partners to make the complimentary intercity skiing and riding happen.

This season, the Ruby Hill Rail Yard will offer free snowsports equipment rentals from 4 to 9 p.m and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The park is open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m, with lighted night skiing and snowboarding available between 4 and 9 p.m.

The DPR hopes the Ruby Hill Rail Yard will operate until March, weather and conditions permitting.

“As one of DPR’s signature amenities, the Ruby Hill Rail Yard is dedicated to providing accessible outdoor recreation for Denver residents, making it easier than ever to enjoy winter sports in an urban setting,” DPR said in a news release.

Participants don’t ride chairlifts. Instead, at the Ruby Hill Rail Yard, you hike to ride the rails and boxes. A little walking hardly dissuaded Denverites from making use of the free jib features, though. During the park’s inaugural, experimental season, it drew 3,000 skiers and boarders, according to the Ruby Hill Rail Yard Facebook page. The following year, participation grew to over 6,000 people.

According to DPR’s website, Winter Park Resort’s staff contribute technical park-building know-how to the Ruby Hill Rail Yard, which is city-owned. 5820 reports that the resort also supplies snowmaking equipment to the park each season. A group of over 35 volunteers work at the Ruby Hill Rail Yard all winter long.

The Ruby Hill Rail Yard will host several free community events this season:

Burton Mystery Series – Saturday, Feb. 8

Snow Pirates Co. Event and Competition – Saturday, Feb. 22

CoreNation Rail Jam – Saturday, March 1

Denver Learns to Ride Day – Last Saturday before Rail Yard Closure (TBD)