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New year, new Mt. Crescent!
Ahead of revealing a four-season master plan with new recreation opportunities and infrastructure (the plan will be announced later this spring), the area fondly known as Mt. Crescent Ski Area is ready to share a new look and a new name with the public.
Wondering why the area is changing, and why now?
Come with us on a brief journey through time to understand how this special community gem has served residents and visitors over the years and what the Pottawattamie Conservation team, which manages the area, has planned for the future:
It all started as a hill that caught the eye of local ski enthusiasts from Omaha and Stein Eriksen, an Olympic gold medalist skier. Passionate community members banded together to fund a ski operation and eventually allowed the public to take part, celebrating Crescent Ski Hills' opening day on January 3rd, 1961.
In 1974 the property was sold to Russell Lindeman. Again, the community wanted in. The overwhelming interest in the ski hill convinced the Lindeman family to start a new business, and the area was renamed to Mt. Crescent Ski Area. The Lindeman's would operate the area for the next 34 years until Russell decided to retire and sell the operation to Korby and Samantha Fleischer in 2008. During this time the area would begin to explore and offer four-season recreation opportunities including mud runs, BMX racing, and a zipline.
Pottawattamie Conservation had been interested in preserving the property ever since Hitchcock Nature Center, a 1,500-acre public nature preserve just north of the area, was acquired in the early 1990's. In December 2021 the stars aligned and the county purchased the property as part of the conservation department's effort to establish one of the largest nature areas in Iowa's globally significant Loess Hills.
In June 2023 four-season hiking trails between the two areas opened to the public, officially making the ski area a part of Hitchcock.
In October 2023, the conservation department began work on a four-season master plan for the area. This new vision is crafted from the dreams of more than 1,000 community members and guided by experts in outdoor recreation planning and branding. It explores exciting recreation opportunities for the area, always balancing land stewardship and environmental education with play.
THE NAME
Crescent Hill at Hitchcock gives a nod to the ski area’s history, maintains the decades-long connection to the nearby community of Crescent, and helps the public understand that it is part of Hitchcock Nature Center. Further, it puts the focus back on the Loess Hills. After all, without this globally significant landform, the current winter and potential four-season activities to be enjoyed here would not be possible.
THE MARK
The logo mark features organic shapes layered together to create a sloping hill that emphasizes the unique layering of loess soil that has built the area’s topography. Its colors are rooted in both the Pottawattamie County and Pottawattamie Conservation brands and showcase the area’s four-season recreation appeal.
THE VISION
Together, the name and mark help position the area as a premier four-season recreation destination that inspires visitors near and far to reconnect with nature.
The area will continue to operate as Mt. Crescent through closing day, which is weather-dependent but expected sometime in March. Over the spring, summer, and fall seasons the area will transition its assets including signage, social media platforms, and website over to the new brand: Crescent Hill at Hitchcock.
Here's what you can expect over the coming months:
What’s Staying The Same:
What’s Changing for the 2025-2026 Ski Season:
The Crescent Hill at Hitchcock master plan explains recommended recreation activities and infrastructure upgrades and prioritizes protecting the area’s ecological significance. The plan is a tool to help decision-makers and community members visualize what the area can realistically accommodate from an ecological, financial, and community needs point of view. There is currently no timeline for the implementation of the plan, which is subject to a variety of future economic, social, environmental, and other factors or needs. Funding for recreation activities and infrastructure upgrades has not yet been secured and Pottawattamie Conservation is currently exploring private, community, and grant-funded sources.
The master plan is slated to be released in spring 2025. Please check back soon for more exciting updates!
