McCoy Park downhill ski terrain makes long-awaited debut at Beaver Creek

Downhill skiers enjoyed Beaver Creek’s newest expansion for the first time Monday as the 250-acre beginner area known as McCoy Park opened to the public.

Beaver Creek Chief Operating Officer Nadia Guerriero, along with Director of Mountain Operations Dan Ramker, VP of Mountain Operations Gary Shimanowitz, and Director of Lift Maintenance Carl Eaton, cut the ribbon on the new McCoy Park Express lift as a crowd of skiers and snowboarders watched.

Once at the top of the lift, those skiers and snowboarders were treated to hot chocolate and commemorative pins celebrating the new ski area.

“We are so excited to open this terrain and offer it to our guests, all of you, to come out here and explore more together,” Guerriero said.

The opening has been long awaited as McCoy Park was first announced as a project set to open last season, but was delayed as a result of the 2020 pandemic.

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Crews finally began cutting new trails in July of 2021, and two new four-person chairlifts, a warming hut and dining outpost, bathrooms and a ski patrol hut were added to the area, which was previously available to non-Alpine winter recreationalists, like snowshoers and Nordic skiers.

Those guests will still be able to use the area, Beaver Creek has confirmed.

But the area is primarily targets toward beginner and intermediate Alpine skiers, Guerriero said.

McCoy Park is “Intentionally designed to be welcoming ski terrain for beginner and intermediate skiers and riders to elevate their mountain experience,” Guerriero said.

The signature park — not to be confused with terrain park — is part of a series of amenities dedicated to beginner terrain “mimicking the setting of advanced trails, granting guests of all ski levels a chance to explore more of the mountain on terrain they are comfortable skiing and snowboarding.“

Other Beaver Creek signature parks include Red Buffalo Park and Haymeadow Park.