At Pinehurst Park.

The former ski hill at Pinehurst Park has steadily evolved into a fresh and exciting new recreation area. Led by local nonprofit OutdoorMore Inc., Pinehurst Park is on its way to becoming not only a ski hill but also a year-round recreation area for Chippewa Valley outdoor enthusiasts.

The Pinehurst Park project is unique for snow park standards. OutdoorMore – which has partnered with the Eau Claire Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department on the project – is made up of volunteers determined to rebuild the park, which sits along Delbert Road on Eau Claire’s north side. Between jobs and family commitments, members of the nonprofit dedicate their resources towards their vision for the park and community.

Since the project was launched in 2013, the site has seen some great progress. Completed projects include tree reduction and hill grading; completion of a bike park, cross-country trails, and bike trails; the purchase of a surface lift, groomer, and tube lane maker; and a new parking lot and lighting for park visitors.

OutdoorMore recently launched a 2016-17 capital campaign as a final surge towards its fundraising goal; the group has raised just over half of its $500,000 goal so far. As OutdoorMore gets closer to this goal, some of the remaining projects will reach completion. Adequate electrical power to the hill and trail lighting, two more snow lifts, snowmaking and tubing equipment, and a chilling pond are still needed. Also, some remaining hill grading and additional freestyle features will be completed. With these goals in mind, OutdoorMore plans to open full operations for the 2017-18 winter season.

During the current winter, however, Pinehurst Park will offer human-powered skiing, snowboarding, and freestyle options for users ranging from beginner to advanced. In addition, park-goers can tube, sled, and ice skate, and there are trails open for fat bike riding, too.

The changes at Pinehurst Park are a substantial improvement, but there’s much more remaining. Check out the Pinehurst Park web site, outdoormore.org, to learn about the project or make a donation.