Ski Bowl Park

Ski Bowl Park is aptly named as it marks the site of the first commercial ski lift in New York State when a rope tow built by Paul Schaeffer carried skiers to the top of the slopes in 1935.

Gifted to the Town of Johnsburg in 1934 to enhance the development of skiing, this 204-acre park offers four-season outdoor recreational opportunities to the residents and visitors in the Town of Johnsburg. The Town continues to support skiing in the park with its partnership with the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). Ski Bowl Park provides other recreational opportunities with baseball/softball fields, basketball court, tennis and pickleball courts. The park hosts a dog park, picnic site, a pond for fishing and swimming, a playground, and two pavilions for community gatherings. A large field hosts big community events such as a July 4^th Celebration or Waynestock, a rock concert for charity. A 20 Km network of multi-use trails wind throughout the park woods.

Seasonal sharing  – Since 2003, the Town of Johnsburg and ORDA have shared the Ski Bowl Park during the winter season to restore skiing at the Ski Bowl. ORDA has use of the alpine slopes within the park, and the Joe Minder Lodge provides a warming hut for Nordic skiers who use the large multi-use field. Perhaps as early as 2025, ORDA will have built a new base lodge in the location of the original Ski Lodge which burned down, installed a new lift capable of loading and unloading folks at the top of the mountain, and constructed a summer attraction called a zip coaster. By adding summer visitation to the Ski Bowl, it is hoped to have an increased economic impact on our local and regional economy.