What Great Bear Ski Valley does

Great Bear Ski Valley is a 220+ acre year-round municipal recreation park operated by the City of Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation Department in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Winter operations (December through March) deliver downhill skiing and snowboarding across 14 trails, a terrain park, the Kirby Family Tubing Park, and cross-country and snowshoeing trails, complemented by adaptive lessons and group programming. Summer operations center on a free 4-mile nature trail system for hiking, biking, and bird watching and The Lodge at Great Bear, a full-service event venue hosting weddings, corporate retreats, and private parties with on-site catering.

The business model is direct-to-consumer recreation blended with event-driven hospitality. Revenue streams include transactional purchases (lift tickets, tubing sessions, equipment rentals, individual lessons), recurring or stored-value products (season passes and gift cards sold through the shop.greatbearpark.com e-commerce storefront), and contracted Lodge event rentals. Distribution combines on-site POS, owned digital commerce, email and SMS marketing, social media, and community event partnerships such as Chill At The Hill and the Almost Home Canine Doggy Yoga collaboration. Sponsorship from local companies including First Cash & Exchange, Henry Carlson Construction, and Marmen Energy supplements earned revenue. Established in 1966, the park functions as the de facto regional ski operator for the Sioux Falls metro with no direct in-market competitor.

Name

Great Bear Ski Valley

Legal name

Great Bear Ski Valley

Website

https://greatbearpark.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Great Bear Ski Valley is a 220+ acre municipal year-round recreation park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, offering 14 ski trails, a tubing park, and summer nature trails, plus The Lodge event venue, serving regional families, individual recreationists, and private event bookers via direct on-site and e-commerce sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ski Resort and Recreation Park

NAICS

Skiing Facilities (71392), Skiing Facilities (713920)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Ski & Mountain Resorts (Lift-Served Skiing/Riding) (THAAAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nordic & Cross-Country Centers (XC Skiing, Biathlon, Snowshoe Trails) (THAAAJAE)

Keywords

• Ski resort operations
• Winter recreation services
• Outdoor recreation park
• Event venue rental
• Ski instruction services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Lift Tickets and Day Passes: On-site and advance purchase lift tickets for skiing and snowboarding. Savings of up to 25% for advance online purchase.
2. Season Passes: Annual and multi-season passes for unlimited access. Early bird sales offered with passes returning for sale in fall.
3. Equipment Rentals: Skiing and snowboarding equipment rental sizes available on first-come first-serve basis.
4. Tubing Sessions: Reserved tubing sessions with advance purchase options saving up to 25%. Children must be at least 42 inches tall.
5. Lessons: Skiing and snowboarding lessons including adaptive programs. Booked online in advance due to limited availability.
6. Event Venue Rental: Wedding, corporate retreat, and private party venue rentals at The Lodge at Great Bear with full catering options including beer, wine, and liquor.
7. Merchandise: T-shirts, hoodies, beanies, stickers, souvenirs, and accessories sold through on-site shop and online store.
8. Gift Cards: Gift cards available for purchase with promotional offers such as extra 10% value during certain periods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Great Bear Ski Valley is a year-round municipal recreation park operating 220+ acres of winter sports (downhill skiing, snowboarding, tubing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing) from December through March and summer activities (hiking, biking, trail running) on a 4-mile trail system. It also operates The Lodge at Great Bear as a full-service event venue for weddings, corporate retreats, and private parties, alongside equipment rentals, instructional lessons including adaptive programs, season passes, group bookings, and branded merchandise.

Product overview

Great Bear Ski Valley is a year-round recreation park operated by the Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation Department, offering over 220 acres of activities. The winter season (December-March) features downhill skiing and snowboarding across 14 trails, a terrain park, the Kirby Family Tubing Park, and cross-country/snowshoeing trails. Summer operations center on a 4-mile nature trail system for hiking and biking. The Lodge at Great Bear provides event venue rental for weddings and corporate gatherings. The company also offers equipment rentals, ski/snowboard lessons (including adaptive programs), season passes, and operates a retail merchandise store. A recurring summer event series called Chill At The Hill takes place every Wednesday evening June through September.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding Downhill skiing and snowboarding on 14 trails with a terrain park, open December through March weather permitting, with lift tickets sold online or on-site.
• Kirby Family Tubing Park Snow tubing and Lazer Tubing experiences at the Kirby Family Tubing Park, operated during the winter season with reserved sessions and height requirements.
• Cross Country & Snowshoeing Trails Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails providing winter recreation for all skill levels within the 220+ acre park.
• Nature Trail System A 4-mile trail system for hiking, jogging, bird watching, and biking during summer months, open 5am to 10pm and free of charge when conditions permit.
• The Lodge at Great Bear Event venue offering indoor and outdoor spaces for weddings, corporate retreats, family reunions, and private parties with full catering options including beer, wine, and liquor.
• Chill At The Hill Weekly Summer Series Weekly Wednesday evening summer event series from June through September featuring local food, live music, games, and Great Bear beverages with named sponsors.
• Equipment Rentals Ski and snowboard equipment rentals available on a first-come, first-served basis with limited sizes, requiring advance online waiver completion.
• Ski & Snowboard Lessons Instruction for skiing and snowboarding including adaptive lessons for visitors with disabilities, booked online in advance due to limited availability.
• Season Passes Annual and multi-season passes offering unlimited access to the park with early bird discounts available before passes go back on sale in fall.
• Groups & Parties Group bookings and party arrangements for various occasions including team events, celebrations, and youth or organizational outings, coordinated via group codes.
• Merchandise Store Online merchandise store offering branded clothing, souvenirs, accessories, and headwear including t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, stickers, and gift cards.
• Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase in variable amounts with promotional offers such as extra 10% value during certain periods.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sioux Falls Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Bear is part of the Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation Department and operates as the largest park in the system. Parks & Rec co-hosts events like Trailgating Festival, Date Hike, Trail & Paint, Nocturnal Animal Hike, and Full Moon Hike. Joint promotion of outdoor recreation activities throughout the year.
• Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Mobile Recreation UnitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides mobile recreation activities and games for Chill At The Hill events
• First Cash & ExchangeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Chill At The Hill weekly summer series. One of multiple named sponsors for the weekly Wednesday evening community event.
• Henry Carlson Construction LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Chill At The Hill weekly summer series
• Marmen EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Chill At The Hill weekly summer series
• Almost Home CanineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnimal rescue partner for Doggy Yoga at the Bear event. Provides adoptable dogs for meet and greet during yoga event.
• Upper Great Plains Street RoddersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomotive enthusiast group hosted at Chill At The Hill events
• Pinnacle ProductionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEntertainment partner providing Singo (Singo Bingo) game during Chill At The Hill events
• ERIKSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosting the ERIKS MEGA Demo Tour event at Great Bear on September 13, 2026. Industrial equipment demo tour.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Andes Tower Hills Ski Area: A small family-owned ski area in Kensington, MN. Comparable as a small Upper Midwest ski hill with limited trail counts, weather-dependent operations, lesson programs, and a primarily local/regional customer base — operating in the same climate zone as Great Bear with similar scale economics.
• Granite Peak Ski Area: A ski area in Wausau, WI. Comparable as a small-to-mid-size Upper Midwest ski hill offering lift-served skiing, terrain park, lessons, and tubing, with a larger trail count than Great Bear but similar regional positioning and weather-dependent winter operations.
• Welch Village Ski Resort: A small ski area in Welch, MN (~2.5 hours from Sioux Falls). Comparable as a small Upper Midwest ski hill serving a regional market with lift-served skiing, snowboarding, terrain park, lessons, and rental equipment — competing for the same regional skier demographic in a similar climate.
• Sundown Mountain Ski Resort: A small ski resort in Dubuque, IA. Closely comparable as a small Upper Midwest ski hill on the Iowa border serving a regional market with ski/snowboard/tubing, lessons, and rental offerings — operating under similar climate constraints and competing for the same Upper Midwest family skiing demographic.
• Mount Kato Ski Area: A small regional ski hill in Mankato, MN, ~90 miles from Sioux Falls. Directly comparable as a small Upper Midwest ski area offering lift-served skiing, snowboarding, lessons, tubing, and terrain parks with a similar local/regional (non-destination) positioning and weather-dependent winter season.
• Spirit Mountain Recreation Area: A municipally-operated ski hill in Duluth, MN run by the city's parks department. Highly comparable as a municipal ski area with lift-served skiing, tubing, terrain park, lessons, and summer recreation programming — sharing the same public-sector ownership model and similar Upper Midwest climate exposure.
• Tyrol Basin Ski & Snowboard Area: A small ski area in Mt. Horeb, WI. Comparable as a small Upper Midwest ski hill with lift-served skiing/snowboarding, terrain park, tubing, lessons, and rental offerings, focused on a regional/local market with similar weather exposure and seasonal economics.

Broad incumbents

• Boyne Resorts: A multi-resort operator (Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands, and others in Michigan). Comparable as a broader incumbent in the Midwest ski industry with lift-served skiing, lodging, lessons, and tubing, though at significantly larger scale and with destination-resort positioning rather than local-hill focus.
• Alterra Mountain Company: A major multi-resort ski operator (Steamboat, Mammoth, Palisades Tahoe, and others). Comparable only at the broadest level as a ski resort operator with lift-served skiing, lessons, and season pass products — but operates at massively larger scale with destination-resort positioning that does not directly compete with Great Bear's regional/local-hill focus.
• Lutsen Mountains: The largest ski resort in Minnesota on Lake Superior's North Shore. Comparable as an Upper Midwest ski operator offering lift-served skiing, lodging, lessons, and summer activities, but at substantially larger scale and as a destination resort rather than a local-hill day-use operation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GreatBearSF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCk0KBXfjy1R8PGQxJXfz8Jw
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreatBearSkiValley
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatbearskivalley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Great Bear Ski Valley