COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A winter attraction that gained masses of admirers in Colorado will once again not be returning for the season.
The colorful, cathedral-like playground called Ice Castles had been annually made in Dillon Town Park starting in 2017. Last year, though, renovations at the park along with some local angst led operators to explore the possibility at the nearby Outlets at Silverthorne.
"However, parking was an issue there," Ice Castles spokesperson Melissa Smuzynski said. "We didn't want to create a traffic headache in an area that already has a lot of traffic."
Smuzynski said several locations were explored for an Ice Castles return to Colorado after last winter's absence.
"Every single factor that we consider has to all play out perfectly for an Ice Castles location to work," she said, "and there was always one factor that couldn't work at any of the locations we were looking at."
To take shape, Ice Castles depend on water, temperature, parking, traffic flow and, Smuzynski said, a big enough space "close enough to a lake or a river or a creek or some type of natural water source that creates good drainage for the water to go back to the natural environment for once we begin to melt."
The aim is to "borrow" water rather than take, Smuzynski said. But in response to a 2020 survey asking about the future of Ice Castles in Dillon, locals expressed dismay about sacrificing water and electricity. Some complained about additional traffic in ski resort-saturated Summit County. Many others voiced support for the economic benefit from the 10,000 visitors Ice Castles claims to attract.
Smuzynski said Summit County could still be an option for a hopeful return next winter. Without sharing specific sites, she said the company has also been in talks with Eagle and Grand counties.
Colorado's outdoor-loving culture and climate are coveted by Ice Castles, Smuzynski said.
"The Colorado lifestyle particularly works for Ice Castles," she said. "And the weather in the Rocky Mountains is ideal. ... We can have a long season there; we can open early and remain open through early March and allow lots of people to come and experience it. We don't have that everywhere else."
The attraction is set for Midway, Utah; New Brighton, Minnesota; Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Lake George, New York; and Lincoln, New Hampshire.
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