There is officially snow in the valley, but it’s currently isolated to the driving range of The Oaks at Spanish Fork golf course.
Gateway Snow Park has opened up a location in Spanish Fork with the goal of providing accessible snow activities throughout the winter months, providing what it calls a “gateway” to healthy activities.
The park has been a bit of a concern around town with many saying that it is taking away a popular sledding hill. Park manager Michele Spanbauer said that they hope to be an asset to the community that all will grow to love. She said that they are excited about this venue, and hope to be around for a long time.
“Gateway started in Boise, and has been in Idaho for 14 years now,” she explained. “Ryan Neptune, the owner wanted to create a place that would build interest in snow sports like tubing, snowboarding and skiing in an area that is more accessible to the public.”
Spanbauer explained that the park has three tubing lanes and a magic carpet to pull the tubes up the hill. The experience costs around $30, and tubers reserve a time slot. There is, however, an area of the park that is free to skiers and snowboarders that Spanbauer said is a driving force behind the park.
“Ryan’s goal is to build interest in skiing and snowboarding, by giving free access to the bunny hill,” she explained. “Charging for tubing is what allows us to keep that area free. There are still areas where the public can sled for free, we just don’t oversee them, and there isn’t any snow over there right now.”
The Gateway Snow Park is on a one year contract with the City of Spanish Fork, with the city standing to receive 3% of the park’s profits. Spanbauer said that she hopes that they can show the community that they are an asset to them.
Natasha Lockhart of Mapleton recently took her family to the park and said that the Gateway really was a great place to go.
“We had a fabulous afternoon filled with fun in the sun and snow!” she said. “Booking our reservation online was super easy, check-in for our time slot was also a breeze, and the lines rolled through quickly. The magic carpet whisked us back to the top for all the thrills and spills. I highly recommend it. As a parent, it is so much better than wrangling kids around to a hillside. The environment is perfect for a designated play time that is safe and has snacks nearby.”
The park is located at The Oaks at Spanish Fork golf course at 300 E Powerhouse Rd., and will be open to the public until March. For more information and to book a time slot, go to gatewayparksspanishfork.com
Photos by Pete Hansen
