Hyland Hills Ski Area in Bloomington, south of Minneapolis, grew from the earlier Normandale Ski Hill, which was already drawing about 50,000 skiers annually by 1945. After a prolonged snow drought hurt business and early improvements failed to restore it, the Hennepin County Park Reserve District bought and renamed the area, reviving it with better grooming equipment, new buildings, and proper chairlifts. Now owned and operated by Three Rivers Park District, it attracts about 160,000 visitors each year. Its varied runs, terrain parks, artificial snowmaking, rebuilt chalet, and youth training programs have made it a leading urban skiing and snowboarding center in the Twin Cities.