Steamboat Base Area Redevelopment

A restored creek revitalizes the base area of a popular ski resort and creates a year-round destination

Although the Steamboat Springs area, located in the central Rocky Mountains of Colorado, was renowned for its world-class recreational opportunities, the 45-year-old mountain village lacked a sense of place or connection to its mountain surroundings. The village bustled with activity when skiers were present in the wintertime, however there was very little summertime or evening activity. The redevelopment of the base area provided a tremendous opportunity to enhance the visitor experience and access throughout the ski village while creating a sense of place at the foot of the mountain.

After decades of being constrained to a pipe underneath the ski slopes, Burgess Creek was daylighted and restored, and with a new adjacent promenade linking major base area destinations, brought renewed life and economic vitality back to the mountain village in the summer. Inspired by the forms, materials, and geological processes found in the surrounding mountain landscape, the creek now flows through pools, canyons, and riffles, providing safe water access for all in the summer.  In winter, the creek is diverted into a culvert back underground to allow for surface skiing.  An array of activities and events and the lure of the water, have made the Burgess Creek Promenade one of the primary leisure destinations in the Yampa River Valley for residents and visitors.