North Dakota's Huff Hills Offers Skiing Adventure

Small ski area draws local enthusiasts with its family-owned legacy and volunteer ski patrol

Mar. 11, 2026 at 9:35pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Huff Hills, a small ski resort in North Dakota, offers an exciting winter experience for both locals and visitors. Despite its modest size, the resort has a rich history and a dedicated community that has kept it running since it first opened in 1993. The ski area was built from the ground up by the Beck family, who acquired used chairlifts and built the infrastructure themselves. Huff Hills is known for its volunteer ski patrol, which has been recognized as the Small Patrol of the Year by the National Ski Patrol Association.

Why it matters

In a state not typically associated with skiing, Huff Hills has managed to thrive by catering to the local community and providing an affordable and accessible winter recreation option. The resort's grassroots origins and community-driven approach serve as a model for how small ski areas can survive and even flourish, even in the face of competition from larger resorts.

The details

Huff Hills is located about 20 miles south of Mandan, North Dakota, and is the largest ski area in the state with around 450 vertical feet. The resort features two chairlifts and two surface lifts that service approximately 20 different trails. Despite its modest size, Huff Hills has a rich history, having been built from the ground up by the Beck family in just five months in 1993. The family acquired used chairlifts from other resorts and built the base lodge and other infrastructure themselves. Today, the resort has a good snowmaking system, groomers, and the full infrastructure required to operate for 4-5 months each winter, depending on the weather.

  • Huff Hills first opened in 1993.
  • The resort acquired its first chairlift, the Blue Chair, from Holimont Ski Area in upstate New York.
  • A second chairlift, the Green Chair, was purchased from Brianhead resort in Utah a couple of years later.

The players

Huff Hills

A small ski resort in North Dakota that has been in operation since 1993, offering an affordable and accessible winter recreation option for the local community.

Jim Beck

The co-founder of Huff Hills, who, along with his son Andrew, built the ski area from the ground up in 1993.

Andrew Beck

The current owner of Huff Hills, who, as a child, was drafted to help his father Jim build the ski area in the early 1990s.

John Thorenson

The base manager at Huff Hills, who returned to the area after working in the Rockies and has been with the resort since.

Scott

A longtime veteran on Huff Hills' all-volunteer ski patrol.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

What’s next

The author plans to visit Anders Tower Hill Ski Resort in Minnesota, the next stop on their ski tour of the western United States.

The takeaway

Huff Hills' story demonstrates how a small, community-driven ski area can thrive by catering to local enthusiasts and embracing a grassroots, DIY approach to resort development and operations. The resort's volunteer ski patrol and family-owned legacy serve as inspiring examples of how passion and perseverance can overcome the challenges faced by smaller ski areas.