Arizona Snowbowl

Ski area in Coconino County, Arizona

Arizona Snowbowl is an alpine ski resort in the southwest United States, located on the San Francisco Peaks of northern Arizona, 15 mile (24 km) north of Flagstaff. The Snowbowl ski area covers approximately one percent of the San Francisco Peaks, and its slopes face west and northwest. Starting its skiing operations in 1938, the base elevation of Arizona Snowbowl is at 9200 feet (2804 m) above sea level, and the resort receives an average annual snowfall of The lift served summit at 11500 feet (3505 m) yields a 2300 feet (701 m) vertical drop, the largest in Arizona, served by two lodges, Hart Prairie Lodge and Agassiz Lodge, and six chairlifts, including one high speed detachable chairlift and one high speed gondola/chair hybrid lift.

Ole and Pete Solberg began the tradition of skiing in the Flagstaff area in 1915, when they used homemade wooden skis to glide down Mars Hill. In 1938, the US Forest Service permitted the construction of a road and ski lodge on the western slopes of the San Francisco Peaks, in Hart Prairie. The first notable transfer of the special use permit and purchase of Snowbowl's ski facilities by a private entity was made in 1941 by Al Grasmoen and the Arnal Corporation. The Arizona Snowbowl operates under a special use permit issued by the U. S. Forest Service and renewed every 40 years. Snowbowl resides on the San Francisco Peaks, which are held as sacred to 13 different Native American tribes in the region. Twenty five people were arrested between May and August 2011, including author and NPR commentator Mary Sojourner and Klee Benally, Diné singer/guitarist for the rock group Blackfire, who has been arrested twice since protests began. On August 8, 2014, the city of Flagstaff approved a 20 year deal to sell reclaimed water to Arizona Snowbowl. Despite the adverse ruling allowing Snowbowl to use reclaimed water on the slopes, the Hopi Tribe filed a lawsuit to challenge the city's right to sell reclaimed water to Snowbowl. Native American tribes and organizations, such as Protect the Peaks, continue to protest. In 2014 and 2015, the Snowbowl opened to protests of upwards of 50 people. Proponents of this artificial snow say that with climate change, Snowbowl does not have to worry about losing business and helps Flagstaff's overall economy by bringing in tourists. Also in 2014, Snowbowl was acquired by a group led by James Coleman, who also has ownership stakes in Pajarito and Sipapu in New Mexico. In the summer of 2015, Snowbowl announced $10 million in resort improvements as further development plans, including adding a new high speed chairlift. To that end, the Grand Canyon Express (high speed six person chair) was installed and opened in late 2016. Additionally, in late 2020, the Arizona Snowbowl opened their new hybrid lift, called a Chondola, which is aptly named the Arizona Gondola (hybrid between a high speed six person chair and 8 person gondola after every 2 chairs). The new high speed Arizona Gondola replaced the slow and outdated Agassiz lift. In the summer, the Arizona Gondola is fully flexible, and allows for varying combinations of gondola cabins and chairs.

Arizona Snowbowl does not publish their revenue or make it public knowledge, which makes it hard to calculate its impact on the Flagstaff economy. The Snowbowl supports approximately 200 full time jobs and $12.08 million in economic output for the city of Flagstaff. Artificial snow allows Snowbowl to open earlier in the winter season and stay open later into the spring season.