Chadds Ford Peak was Chadds Ford’s very own ski resort. Located on the hill behind Chadds Ford Knoll, it opened in the early 1970’s or so and was started by two athletic coaches from P.S. duPont High School in Wilmington. It closed between 1988 and 1989. The last owners also owned the miniature golf course on route 202 toward Wilmington. There was a summer camp with a pool. The trails were lit at night for night skiing.

Here’s a brochure from probably the 70’s.

Chadds Peak Ski Area Brochure, page 1

Chadds Peak Ski Area Brochure, page 2

The land was sold to a local group for speculation who tried a number of times to get some development schemes approved by the Township, but none were approved. It was sold to a private owner and the land is now empty space. Here’s an article about that.

The Philadelphia Inquirer
November 25, 1983

SEEKING A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS AT SKI AREA

Gregory R. Byrnes, Inquirer Staff Writer

Two chemists, backed by several partners and a 30-year loan from the Delaware County Industrial Development Authority, hope to give a new face to Chadds Peak Ski Area.

Horng-Yih Chen and Edward C. Liu bought the resort, about 15 miles south of Philadelphia, for $500,000 from Richard and Marie Paciaroni.

Chen, 46, and Liu, 42, are gambling that they can add additional runs and market the hill’s charms to area schools, colleges, hotels and businesses.

They also will try to develop a camp for children next summer. The camp would stress instruction in computers, music and crafts.

But Chadds Peak, they said, is not being groomed or touted as a major ski resort.

They recognize that it could not qualify as a mogul at Aspen, Vail or Killington. And its apres-ski activity is confined to a cup of hot chocolate in its cafeteria.

And that’s the way Chen and Liu want to keep it.

“We won’t try and serve liquor here,” Liu said. “We want to retain the family atmosphere that exists now.”

Chadds Peak, built in 1964, has four ski runs: two 300-foot-long gentle slopes for beginners and two slopes with vertical drops of 285 feet and a length of 1,000 feet to challenge the more experienced skier.

It offers ski lessons, night skiing, equipment rentals and baby-sitting.

“What we have here is a place to learn to ski; our slopes won’t intimidate the novice,” said Chen, a Du Pont Co. chemist and president of Garlan Park Associates Inc., the holding company for Chadds Peak.

“It is also a place where the intermediate and advanced skier can have an afternoon or evening of fun. They don’t have to spend a couple of hours driving to the Poconos. We’re a backyard ski resort.”

“We’re geared to beginners and to families,” he said. “Here, they can afford to learn to ski. When they can handle these slopes, they can graduate to the Poconos or Vermont.”

On a blustery day last week, Chen had visions of skiers’ hurtling down the scraggly woodlands that become ski slopes after they are covered with snow.

“It feels like snow, doesn’t it?” asked a hopeful Chen, rubbing his hands together for warmth as he gave a walking tour of the ski area. “We’re scheduled to open Dec. 15. We are hoping Mother Nature cooperates.”

“The weather does have us kind of nervous,” he conceded. “Once every 10 years, the global weather pattern suffers a gross abnormality. Last year was such a year -it was unseasonably warm, and ski resorts throughout the East suffered financial losses.”

Temperature is more important to ski-resort operators than precipitation, because most areas are equipped for snow-making at 28 to 30 degrees. Chadds Peak is equipped with 36 powerful snow guns.

Last year, the lack of snow and the mild temperatures, which prevented many areas from making snow, resulted in a 20 percent to 50 percent drop in business at many Eastern ski areas, according to the National Ski Areas Association.

Chadds Peak was open only 42 days last year, compared with a yearly average of 55 to 65 days for ski resorts, Chen said.

“Chadds Peak, like the mountains in the Poconos and New England, had little or no snow during the Christmas school break last year,” which is usually the busiest and most profitable week of the year, said Liu, who resigned his chemist’s job to become the ski and summer camp’s resident manager. “A year like last year could cripple us.”

To make a profit, said Liu, Chadds Peak must operate 60 of the 90 days that it is scheduled to be open. It also must attract an average of 200 skiers a day.

“This area has been expanding rapidly, and we want to take advantage of that,” Liu said. “Cigna Corp. has recently built a major office near here, and State Farm is in the process of building a regional headquarters here. There is an office park close by and several hotels. We’ll offer special package deals for their employees.”

“Creating the right image is going to be the key to our success,” said Chen. “The market is here. This is a densely populated area, and the income demographics are right. The people have money to spend on recreation.”

Liu and Chen said they would invest money and plow profits back into the business.

“We won’t continue the policies of the past,” said Liu. ”We’ll put money into upkeep and the improvement of facilities. We’ll have a new surprise each year for our skiers.”

So far this year, Chen and Liu have paved the entrance road to the ski area and have built a large, two-tier deck attached to the restaurant. And they plan to introduce Chinese cuisine in the restaurant.

“This is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream,” Chen said. “Winter and snow have always held a fascination for me. As a youngster in Taiwan, I always felt sorry for myself. I had always wanted to learn to skate and ski.

“Now I can provide kids the opportunity to learn to ski, to enjoy a winter sport,” he said. “They won’t have to grow up miserable like I did.”

Chadds Peak, Seeking a Formula for Success at Ski Area, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fri, Nov 25, 1983, sm

For photos and commentary, see the following links:
http://www.dcski.com/lostareas/viewlostprofile.php?id=30
https://allthingsmediapa.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-ever-happened-to-chadds-peak-ski.html
Chadds Peak Alumni Facebook Page