Omaha Ski Club and Recreation
Traveling through Nebraska often conjures images of rolling plains and cornfields as far as the eye can see, but hidden in the heart of the Great Plains is a ski club that has been providing Midwestern skiers with a unique skiing experience for decades. The Omaha Ski Club, also known as Mt. Crescent Ski Area, is located at 17026 Mercer Pike, Honey Creek, Iowa, near the Iowa-Nebraska border and just outside the city of Omaha.
The club was founded in 1961 by a group of skiing enthusiasts who sought to create a local ski resort where families, singles, and skiing aficionados could gather to share their passion for the sport. Since its inception, the Omaha Ski Club has developed into one of the largest and most popular ski resorts in the Midwest, boasting seven trails that cater to all skill levels, from beginners to advanced skiers. The terrain at the club features mostly gentle slopes, but there are also opportunities for more challenging skiing, including a handful of black diamond trails.
Mt. Crescent's versatility has also been highlighted by its accommodations for night skiing. Floodlights illuminate the trails on evenings and nights when the moon is not full, adding an extraordinary dimension to the skiing experience at Omaha Ski Club. Members of the ski club have the added benefit of exclusive access to night skiing and other events. After their skiing adventures, skiers can gather around the fire at the resort's lodge, aptly called the Chalet, and swap stories about their experiences on the mountain.
Despite its relatively modest 300-foot vertical drop, Omaha Ski Club serves as an ideal spot for seasoned skiers who are eager to develop their skills in the discipline of freestyle skiing, a unique skiing style that involves deft maneuvers on various types of terrain, including rails, jumps, and moguls. While not a conventional skiing destination, the Omaha Ski Club undoubtedly fills the gap for many Midwesterners who desire to hone their skiing prowess.
One reason for its relative obscurity may be due to the ski club's less commercial atmosphere, favoring the passion of skiing over profitability. In what has become a characteristic particular to Omaha Ski Club, the inclusive nature of the ski resort truly fosters camaraderie among visiting skiers. This aspect is unique in a sport often associated with exclusivity and inaccessibility. In staying true to the core of its existence, the ski club never sacrificed quality to adapt for the benefit of commercial viability.
Although not the Alpine mecca of its mountainous counterparts, Omaha Ski Club still manages to attract visitors with the allure of breathtaking perspectives. Even though its slopes may not take a skier's breath away due to steep inclines, the experience remains thrilling nonetheless. Those driving up to Mt. Crescent may be rewarded with magnificent vistas on the early morning journey to Mt. Crescent, viewing the magnificent snow-clad ridges from Honey Creek, serving as an adventurous precursor to their day of skiing.
Mt. Crescent's allure and reputation have a loyal following among those skiing enthusiasts for which deep, steep valleys are unimportant when compared to the communal atmosphere which thrives at Omaha Ski Club. Perhaps the allure is not one of intense slopes but one that transcends deeper into those less tangible aspects – an attitude – rooted within the identity of every one of the passionate participants involved in crafting their cherished destination for fellow Midwestern skiers.
The club was founded in 1961 by a group of skiing enthusiasts who sought to create a local ski resort where families, singles, and skiing aficionados could gather to share their passion for the sport. Since its inception, the Omaha Ski Club has developed into one of the largest and most popular ski resorts in the Midwest, boasting seven trails that cater to all skill levels, from beginners to advanced skiers. The terrain at the club features mostly gentle slopes, but there are also opportunities for more challenging skiing, including a handful of black diamond trails.
Mt. Crescent's versatility has also been highlighted by its accommodations for night skiing. Floodlights illuminate the trails on evenings and nights when the moon is not full, adding an extraordinary dimension to the skiing experience at Omaha Ski Club. Members of the ski club have the added benefit of exclusive access to night skiing and other events. After their skiing adventures, skiers can gather around the fire at the resort's lodge, aptly called the Chalet, and swap stories about their experiences on the mountain.
Despite its relatively modest 300-foot vertical drop, Omaha Ski Club serves as an ideal spot for seasoned skiers who are eager to develop their skills in the discipline of freestyle skiing, a unique skiing style that involves deft maneuvers on various types of terrain, including rails, jumps, and moguls. While not a conventional skiing destination, the Omaha Ski Club undoubtedly fills the gap for many Midwesterners who desire to hone their skiing prowess.
One reason for its relative obscurity may be due to the ski club's less commercial atmosphere, favoring the passion of skiing over profitability. In what has become a characteristic particular to Omaha Ski Club, the inclusive nature of the ski resort truly fosters camaraderie among visiting skiers. This aspect is unique in a sport often associated with exclusivity and inaccessibility. In staying true to the core of its existence, the ski club never sacrificed quality to adapt for the benefit of commercial viability.
Although not the Alpine mecca of its mountainous counterparts, Omaha Ski Club still manages to attract visitors with the allure of breathtaking perspectives. Even though its slopes may not take a skier's breath away due to steep inclines, the experience remains thrilling nonetheless. Those driving up to Mt. Crescent may be rewarded with magnificent vistas on the early morning journey to Mt. Crescent, viewing the magnificent snow-clad ridges from Honey Creek, serving as an adventurous precursor to their day of skiing.
Mt. Crescent's allure and reputation have a loyal following among those skiing enthusiasts for which deep, steep valleys are unimportant when compared to the communal atmosphere which thrives at Omaha Ski Club. Perhaps the allure is not one of intense slopes but one that transcends deeper into those less tangible aspects – an attitude – rooted within the identity of every one of the passionate participants involved in crafting their cherished destination for fellow Midwestern skiers.
