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.
I had a set of ex-rental skis from this hill's shop.
Poor, little ski area at Coonskin. Never any snow. No wonder it was closed down.
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.
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.
