Iron Mountain Ski Area could be yours for $4 million. – Photo Credit: Sierra Rec Magazine
A roughly 66-acre property is for sale on what used to be the Iron Mountain Ski Resort along State Route 88 in California. The property comes with already approved building permits for 22 to 46 condos and townhomes. The old ski towers and buildings still remain, but they are vandalized and in poor condition.
Iron Mountain operated for the first time in 1971, then known as Silver Basin, before going through several bankruptcies. In 1991, the then-owner of what had been renamed to Iron Mountain cut down trees without permission from the National Forest Service, violating the lease agreement. This led to the owner’s arrest and the closing of the resort until 1995 when it operated for one last season as Carson Ski Area before closing for good.
Silver Basin (Iron Mountain’s Original Name) Trail Map From 1972. – Photo Credit: Skimap.org
Although the property is being sold with the potential for reopening as a ski resort, it would likely be an uphill battle with the National Forest Service. With Iron Mountain’s multiple bankruptcies, it will take some considerable convincing to lease the National Forest land that made up the majority of the resort’s 1,700-acre footprint. Not only will it be difficult to get the lease back, but it’ll be hard to compete with Kirkwood which gets more reliable snowfall and is only 30 minutes away.
The property is for sale for a relatively low price of $4 million. Perhaps there will be another revival for the resort here in the next few years? And if so, will it last? These are the questions currently facing the once again for sale Iron Mountain.
Iron Mountain Trail Map from 1990. – Photo Credit: Skimap.org