Afton Alps

Afton Alps, above the St. Croix River south of Afton in eastern Minnesota, grew from a small local ski venture into a major regional winter sports center. Brothers Paul and Bob Augustine and farmer Paul Furlong opened it on December 21, 1962, only two months after clearing trees, with tow ropes, one T-bar lift, and 37 visitors on opening day. Expansion was rapid through the 1960s and 1970s, turning a farm hillside into one of the region’s larger downhill skiing destinations. Later ownership shifted within the Augustine family, and in 2012 Vail Resorts bought the resort and invested heavily in upgrades and snowmaking.

Minnesota · United States