Community Comes First at Rotarun Ski Area, Idaho

You’ve probably heard of Sun Valley, Idaho. It hosted the 2025 Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals, is known for some of the biggest movie stars alive have homes there, and has some of the steepest green runs you’ve seen in your life.

Located 16 miles from the base of the legendary Sun Valley Resort, Rotarun is everything that Sun Valley is not. It’s vertical drop is 475 feet. The face of Art Richards Mountain is treeless. There’s a single food truck at the base of the mountain that provides tacos, burritos, quesadillas, cheeseburgers, chips, soda, and coffees. Those are your options. There’s no fondue platters or mimosa flights, but you’re more than welcome to bring your own grills, tables, and fire pits to set up in the parking lot.

As for lift tickets? They’re $15 for adults, and $10 for children between the ages of 6 and 17. Children 5 and under are free. Wednesdays are free for everyone.

It doesn’t get better than that.

I visited Rotarun thanks to a press trip sponsored by Ski Idaho. We had spent the last three days at Sun Valley Resort with some steep and deep runs. I drank a Rainier at the base lodge by a fire pit. Then we packed up the car, left the resort that was proudly set to host the FIS Ski World Cup in just two weeks, and drove 28 minutes south.

When I got there, there was a local youth ski racing team finishing up practice. Shortly after, the Sun Valley Skimo team showed up to host the Skimo Showdown, a series of uphill races meant for everyone from experienced racers to beginners. The entry fee was $10, and after the races were finished, a number of competitors indulged in a free lift ticket for just one or two extra laps.

The purpose of Rotarun is not to turn a profit, but rather, to be an affordable institution for the community. The Rota-Rippers program is a community supported, tuition-free, learn to ski and snowboard program that aims to teach confidence and courage through winter sports for children between the ages of 5 and 11.

The Freddy’s Pass program – named after Freddy Johnson – offers free season passes to children between the ages of 6 and 17 to those who need it. It’s known as the little mountain with a big heart, and it runs on an operating budget of about $300,000. Executive Director Scott McGrew called it the anti-resort in an interview with the Idaho Mountain Express.

“This place belongs to all of us,” he said.

“We’ve removed all the barriers to entry,” Mountain Manager Julian Tyo said in that same interview. “There’s so much ski equipment here. … If you’re cold, we’ve got some extra coats. We’ll keep you warm.”

It’s no secret that mom and pops are a dying breed. That holds true for delis, furniture stores, hotels, and yes, ski areas. The small ski areas that do survive, are often changed at their core, thanks to companies swooping in that care more about shareholder value than the community. The wonderful thing about Rotarun, though, is that when you’re booting up in the parking lot, you already feel like a member of the family.

When I approached the ticket booth and asked for a T-shirt in my size, the volunteer staff went so far out of their way to find one, they ended up in a storage area, kind of like your aunt who drives 30 miles away to find that brand of hot dogs you love for a Memorial Day cookout.

Middle school children sat unaccompanied by parents at the picnic tables eating tacos, talking about their favorite skiers. Parents holding toddlers between their legs rode the Poma lift uphill. When someone inevitably fell down, strangers helped them back up.

We talk a lot about community when it comes to snowboarding, and that’s because without community, snowboarding is nothing.

The next Chase Josey to ride for the U.S. Olympic team could fall in love with snowboarding right at Rotarun. Thanks to programs like the Rota-Rippers, it doesn’t matter what their background is. If they love it, they’ll get to ride.

It doesn’t get better than that.