Town of 1,500 in Colorado eyes historic purchase of Eldora from Powdr

A small ski town in Colorado aims to buy Eldorra Mountain from Powdr. Photo: Eldorra Mountain

NEDERLAND, Colo. — The ski town is buying the ski hill. Nederland, Colorado, has signed a letter of intent to purchase Eldora Mountain Resort from Powdr Corp., setting the stage for one of the first municipally owned ski areas in the country. If the deal closes this fall, the community would take the reins on mountain operations—marking a bold new model for ski town self-determination.

“Our vision is to build on Eldora’s legacy and create a community-driven, sustainable, and year-round destination that supports local jobs, outdoor industries, and infrastructure development.  said Nederland Mayor Billy Giblin in an interview with SAM Magazine.

The town has partnered with 303 Ski—a new operations group stacked with ski industry veterans from Vail Resorts, Snow Partners, and Powdr—to run the resort after the sale. Powdr, which has owned Eldora since 2013, will continue operating it for at least two more seasons to ensure a smooth handoff. The town plans to establish a new position—deputy town manager and executive director of mountain operations—to serve as the key link between resort operations and local government.

Nederland plans to fund the purchase through revenue bonds backed solely by Eldora’s earnings, including Ikon Pass revenue—no local tax dollars will be used, officials emphasized. The town expects to build a $10 million reserve to buffer bad snow years and estimates $2 million to $5 million in free cash flow annually once the bonds are paid off.

All current Eldora employees—up to 700 in winter—would become town staff. The resort will remain on the Ikon Pass.

Powdr, which is headquartered in Park City, has been offloading several resorts in the past year, including Killington and Pico in Vermont. It’s still shopping SilverStar in B.C., but pulled Mt. Bachelor in Oregon off the market this spring. It continues to operate Snowbird and Woodward Park City in Utah, as well as Copper Mountain in Colorado.

“This is how a town and a mountain move forward together—with trust, with partnership, and with respect for everything that has come before,” Giblin said in a statement on Nederland’s website.