Ski Snowstar

History

In 1979, about 70 acres of land was purchased to build Ski Snowstar. When the park opened in the winter of 1981-82, it had 6 acres of ridable land, a four-person chairlift and a cable tow. They also had 3 snow machines that covered all the hills. The ski lodge offered a cafeteria, lounge, ticket office, ski school, ski patrol, rental office, and a gift shop. The following summer, they almost doubled ridable acres with the addition of an intermediate hill and another quad chairlift. The park was purchased in 2021 by a couple from Illinois City.

Facilities

Buildings on the property include a 6,000 square foot lodge with multiple dining options, a welcome center and a ski patrol. There are 32 snow gun that cover the entire resort and can produce enough snow for a season to last 75 days. The park experiences a natural annual snowfall of 38-40 inches. Of the 14 trails, half are for intermediate level skiers, while the remaining trails are divided between beginner and advanced(25% each). It has six ski lifts of different varieties. Two are tow ropes. Features include quarter pipe, hip jumps, spines, and more. Snowstar also has a tubing hill. Opening in February 2019, Snowstar also offers year round zip-line tours. It features four lines, with the longest line spanning 1,300 feet.

References

References

1. "Snowstar Winter Park | Ski Lodge & Snow Park | Andalusia & Rock Island County, IL, Quad Cities".
2. "Snowstar Winter Park | Ski Lodge & Snow Park | Andalusia & Rock Island County, IL, Quad Cities".
3. Brown, Alyce. "Local couple purchases Snowstar ski park, saves it from closing".
4. "Trail Maps".
5. "Snowstar Winter Park | Ski Lodge & Snow Park | Andalusia & Rock Island County, IL, Quad Cities".
6. "The History of Our Ski Park in Andalusia, IL".
7. "Zipline Tours | Andalusia & Rock Island County, IL, Quad Cities".