Lutsen Mountains Expansion Fact Sheet

Lutsen Mountains Expansion
Fact Sheet
Summary
The Land
Lutsen Mountains is an iconic, Midwest destination
ski area on Lake Superior’s North Shore. Its legacy
began in 1948 and today anchors Cook County’s
$159 million tourism economy.
• The NFS land is zoned for “Recreation Use in a
Scenic Landscape”
Since 1980, more than 300 ski areas, mostly
destination ski areas like Lutsen Mountains, have
gone out of business because they were too small
to keep up with modern infrastructure costs. While
Lutsen Mountains has kept pace over the past thirty
years, industry trends show destination ski areas will
need to have at least 200,000 skier visits per year to
survive. Lutsen Mountain’s current annual skier visits
total just 100,000.
• The NFS land is steep (25% grade), adjacent to the
existing ski runs and has no alternative economic or
recreational use of comparable significance to
the region
In order to achieve the visitor growth needed to
survive long-term, Lutsen Mountains will need to
expand its current operations. To accomplish this,
Lutsen Mountains has applied for a special use
permit for 400 acres of adjacent National Forest
System (NFS) lands administered by the Superior
National Forest. This project will expand recreational
opportunities and visitor services for families,
strengthen the local economy and continue the
Lutsen legacy for many generations to come.
• The land will be used for ski runs, parking and skier
service buildings
• The 400 acres are 0.01% of the 3.9 million acre
Superior National Forest
• The land is outside the Poplar River Watershed
• State-of-the art trail design and construction will
be used to minimize soil run-off
• Stormwater best practices will be used to eliminate
impacts to other land
• Most U.S. destination ski areas (121 in total), primarily
in Western states are on NFS permitted land
Ski Area’s Role in Cook County Economy
• Tourism drives 80% of the Cook County economy
Expanding Outdoor Recreation
Opportunities for Families
• Lutsen Mountains’ ski area currently generates
$29 million of the $159 economy, with the
expansion estimated to increase the ski area’s
economic contribution to $60 million
• Lutsen Mountains’ drive-to location and lower costs
relative to Western ski areas makes it an ideal
location for families to enjoy
• Expansion gives Lutsen Mountains the opportunity
to lengthen the ski season, strengthening the Cook
County economy during slow shoulder seasons
• The expansion will add novice, intermediate runs
and facilities prized by families
• The ski area currently generates 250 FTE jobs of
the workforce of 2,000, concentrated during the
winter when jobs are needed most. The expansion
is estimated to increase Lutsen Mountain’s annual
FTE job contribution from 250 to 450
• The expansion will result in more families visiting
from Minnesota, neighboring states and Canada
• The land will enable Lutsen Mountains to expand
ski runs from 180 to 320 acres, allowing the ski
area to grow visits and fund future infrastructure
investments necessary to ensure the ski area’s
long-term survival
• The expansion project will generate $30 million in
construction spending, create construction jobs
and spur other local development
Expand to Survive
• Since 1980, 300 destination ski areas like Lutsen
Mountains have gone out of business because they
were too small to survive
• Rising infrastructure costs and increased
competition from Western conglomerates that are
10 to 100 times larger are putting many Midwest
destination ski areas out of business
• National trends suggest Lutsen will need to have
at least 200,000 annual skier visits to survive long
term (current skier visits are at 100,000 annually)
• Only four destination ski areas in North America
with comparable verticals (400’ – 800’) have
achieved the required skier visits and all four have
significantly more acres of ski runs than Lutsen
Mountains
Timing
Full development will take 7-15 years but 4-6 acres
of runs closest to the existing western boundary of
the ski hill could be added as soon as the permit
is obtained.
Contact
For more information, email: [email protected]

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