Hidden Valley Ski Area in Wildwood, west of St. Louis, is an unusual Midwestern ski resort that created downhill skiing from rolling local terrain. It includes 15 trails across 65 acres on two peaks with a 320-foot vertical drop, supported by extensive snowmaking that is essential in a region with unreliable natural snowfall. The resort grew from the Boyd family’s 1977 purchase of the Wildwood Golf Course and its conversion into a ski area in 1982 while golf continued to operate. Later expansions, new lifts, a zip line, conservation-related land agreements, and its 2019 acquisition by Vail Resorts helped make it a year-round destination near a major metropolitan area.

Eureka, Missouri · USA