DCSki Lost Ski Areas Archive

Coonskin Park

Charleston, West Virginia

Historical profile · Updated September 14, 2004 · 4 reader comments

DCSki Editorial Overview

The story in brief

Coonskin Park brought a small, convenient ski hill to Charleston, West Virginia, three miles northeast of the city along WV 114. Operating until 1981, according to a 1993 account, it featured a 125-foot vertical served by one rope tow, with a base elevation of 725 feet and a summit at 850 feet. The county park also offered ice skating, sledding, and tobogganing, making it a broader winter recreation destination than its modest ski terrain suggests.

For local skiers, Coonskin was memorable precisely because it was close and informal. Readers recall night skiing until 8 p.m., inexpensive season passes, and a part-time instructor, while one former worker remembers teaching basic snowplow and stem-christie turns and serving as ski patrol. The roughly 600-foot tow reportedly rose from a golf driving range below the airport runway, where sledders shared the hill with skiers. Snow was sometimes scarce, but the slope remained Charleston’s nearby place to practice, socialize, and enjoy a winter afternoon before eventually closing.

Generated from DCSki's historical profile and reader-contributed memories.

Coonskin Park offered a 125-foot vertical with one rope tow.

In 1993, the twelth edition of “Lost Colorado Ski Areas,” a newsletter posted to the Internet newsgroup rec.skiing, included some details about Coonskin Park.

According to the newsletter, Coonskin Park operated until 1981. The ski area was located in Coonskin Park off of WV 114, 3 miles northeast of Charleston, West Virginia. The base elevation was 725 feet and the peak elevation was 850 feet. In addition to skiing off the rope tow, the area offered ice skating, sledding, and tobogganing.

Living history

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Community archive

Reader Comments

Robert Sealey

June 16, 2005

I had a set of ex-rental skis from this hill's shop.

Scott

October 25, 2005

Poor, little ski area at Coonskin. Never any snow. No wonder it was closed down.

Bill Oldham

June 9, 2007

I loved Coonskin Park back in the early 1970's. You got a season pass for $30. There were night lights for skiing until 8 p.m. There was even a part time instructor.

It was great because you could knock off work and practice skiing for two or three hours and then go home for tea.

Keep in mind that I was single at the time and did not have an active social life.

Nelson Beers

May 28, 2009

Going to college in Charleston in the late 60's Coonskin Park was the only game near town. The slope was on a golf driving range just below the airport runway.

Being a New Englander I met the primary criteria for working there. My own ski's and an ability to turn. I was free most afternoons and serverd as both the ski school and ski patrol.

Snow plow and stem christie was about as far as the teaching went. Fortuneately the 600' long rope tow didn't provide enough vertical for any real injuries.

The rope tow was a typical truck at the top set up. It was a good county park truck and could go pretty fast when no one was around.

Sledding was allowed on the same hill, the college used to send out someone to pick up all their cafeteria trays after a good storm. The most exciting thing to come down the hill was a car hood with 4 people on it, the only thing to ever go really fast down that hill.

Snowcat got your tongue?

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