Red Barn Ski Area was a small, single-rope-tow operation on Barron Church Road near Laurel Hill State Park, between the park and Camp Soles in the Rockwood, Pennsylvania, area. Its setting was distinctly rural: the ski hill was part of a former dairy farm, with a large red barn and farmhouse at the base and a dirt road leading up the slope. The profile places the area in operation by the early 1960s, when it offered a modest local skiing experience rather than a large resort environment.
The hill’s character survives in the physical traces still associated with the property. Remnants of rope-tow wheels remain on poles and trees, along with the engine house, providing clues to how the tow operated. The surrounding land continues to be farmed, connecting the present landscape to the area’s agricultural past. Though little documentation survives about its operating years or eventual closure, Red Barn stands as an example of the small, rural ski hills that once served nearby communities in western Pennsylvania.
Bill Boucher writes about a rope tow that was located near Laurel Hill State Park:
“Red Barn Ski Area was a single rope tow on Barron Church Road between Laurel State Park at Trent Pa and Camp Soles. Small Hill with remnants of the rope tow wheels on poles and trees and engine house. Saw it operating in the early 60s. Large Red Barn and farmhouse at the base and dirt road leading to it. Very rural setting that once was a dairy farm and is still farmed today.”
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