Sunrise Park Resort
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2026) |
| Sunrise Park Resort | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The three mountains at Sunrise Park Resort: Sunrise Peak, Apache Peak, and Cyclone Circle | |
  Sunrise Park Resort Location in Arizona  Sunrise Park Resort Sunrise Park Resort (the United States) | |
| Location | Apache County, Arizona, United States |
| Nearest major city | Greer, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 33°58′24″N 109°33′53″W / 33.97333°N 109.56472°W |
| Vertical | 1,900 ft (580 m) |
| Top elevation | 11,100 feet (3,400 m) |
| Base elevation | 9,200 feet (2,800 m) |
| Skiable area | 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) |
| Trails | 67 total  46% beginner  28% intermediate  25% advanced/expert |
| Longest run | 2.75 miles (4.43 km) "Lonestar" on Cyclone Circle |
| Lift system | 8 Operational Chairlifts - 1 High-Speed Quad |
| Lift capacity | 16,000 / hr |
| Terrain parks | 1 |
| Snowfall | 250 in/year ( 6.35 m/year) |
| Snowmaking | Yes |
| Night skiing | Yes (4:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on limited days) |
| Website | www |
Sunrise Park Resort is an alpine ski resort located near Greer, Arizona. The resort consists of three mountains named Sunrise Peak, Cyclone Circle, and Apache Peak. Situated on the Colorado Plateau and perched atop the White Mountains in eastern Arizona. The base of the resort sits at 9,200 feet (2,800 m) and the tallest mountain, Apache Peak, tops out at an elevation of 11,100 feet (3,400 m) above sea level. The ski slopes spread across the 3 peaks and cover 1,200 acres (4.9 km2),[1] making it the largest ski resort in Arizona.
Ownership and location
[edit]Sunrise Park Resort is owned and operated by the White Mountain Apache Tribe and located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. The resort is a year-round recreation destination and offers a wide range of outdoor activities.
Sunrise Park Resort is a popular regional destination and is approximately 216 miles (348 km) from Phoenix, Arizona, 231 miles (372 km) from Tucson, Arizona, 223 miles (359 km) from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and 324 miles (521 km) from El Paso, Texas. The closest airports are located in Springerville, Arizona, Show Low, Arizona, and Whiteriver, Arizona.
History
[edit]![[icon]](/newspapers?url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (March 2026) |
Intitally considering opening a ski resort in the Hawley Lake area in 1962, Chairman Lupe showed Tribal members Sunrise Peak and they were convinced. By 1965, the Bureau of Indian Affairs completed a feasibility study and in 1969 they submitted an Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant application and negotiations between LTV Corporation and Boise Cascade Tribe began. In 1970 the Council approved funding for the first ski lift and the EDA increased the original grant to $1.6 million. Despite a fire that burned down a 50-room wing of the hotel, Sunrise Park Resort was ready to opening on Christmas Day of that year.[2]
Climate
[edit]According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Sunrise Park Resort has a warm-summer mediterranean continental climate, abbreviated "Dsb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded at Sunrise Park Resort was 86 °F (30.0 °C) on June 27, 2002 and June 20, 2016, while the coldest temperature recorded was −26 °F (−32.2 °C) on January 4, 1972.[3]
| Climate data for Sunrise Park Resort, Arizona, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 62 (17) |
62 (17) |
65 (18) |
70 (21) |
75 (24) |
86 (30) |
85 (29) |
83 (28) |
82 (28) |
75 (24) |
67 (19) |
64 (18) |
86 (30) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 53.5 (11.9) |
53.4 (11.9) |
57.6 (14.2) |
62.9 (17.2) |
69.4 (20.8) |
79.4 (26.3) |
78.1 (25.6) |
76.1 (24.5) |
73.4 (23.0) |
68.6 (20.3) |
60.3 (15.7) |
55.3 (12.9) |
81.7 (27.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42.1 (5.6) |
41.8 (5.4) |
46.0 (7.8) |
53.0 (11.7) |
61.8 (16.6) |
71.2 (21.8) |
71.4 (21.9) |
69.8 (21.0) |
67.4 (19.7) |
59.8 (15.4) |
51.2 (10.7) |
42.2 (5.7) |
56.5 (13.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.7 (−2.9) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
33.3 (0.7) |
39.2 (4.0) |
46.5 (8.1) |
54.1 (12.3) |
57.7 (14.3) |
56.2 (13.4) |
52.4 (11.3) |
43.3 (6.3) |
35.9 (2.2) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
41.8 (5.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 11.2 (−11.6) |
14.9 (−9.5) |
20.6 (−6.3) |
25.4 (−3.7) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
37.0 (2.8) |
44.0 (6.7) |
42.6 (5.9) |
37.4 (3.0) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
20.6 (−6.3) |
14.1 (−9.9) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −9.2 (−22.9) |
−5.7 (−20.9) |
2.3 (−16.5) |
9.1 (−12.7) |
16.6 (−8.6) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
35.1 (1.7) |
34.2 (1.2) |
25.5 (−3.6) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
4.5 (−15.3) |
−7.5 (−21.9) |
−13.0 (−25.0) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) |
−20 (−29) |
−16 (−27) |
−9 (−23) |
0 (−18) |
14 (−10) |
20 (−7) |
21 (−6) |
12 (−11) |
−5 (−21) |
−16 (−27) |
−20 (−29) |
−26 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.02 (51) |
2.76 (70) |
2.30 (58) |
0.95 (24) |
0.73 (19) |
0.87 (22) |
4.65 (118) |
3.96 (101) |
2.33 (59) |
1.59 (40) |
1.67 (42) |
2.85 (72) |
26.68 (676) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 25.8 (66) |
35.8 (91) |
22.0 (56) |
2.3 (5.8) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
3.1 (7.9) |
6.7 (17) |
31.8 (81) |
128.8 (328) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 18.1 (46) |
32.9 (84) |
25.3 (64) |
11.2 (28) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.0 (2.5) |
4.4 (11) |
14.8 (38) |
28.8 (73) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.9 | 6.4 | 5.2 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 12.7 | 11.7 | 7.7 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 7.2 | 69.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.2 | 6.7 | 5.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 6.1 | 27.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA[4] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[3] | |||||||||||||
Winter
[edit]The ski season at Sunrise Park Resort usually runs from Thanksgiving through the end of March. During the winter, the resort's three mountains offer alpine skiing. Night skiing is offered around Christmas and on holiday weekends in January and February.[5] There is also a snowboard terrain park, separate cross-country skiing area, ski biking, and a snow tubing hill.[6]
Mountain statistics
[edit]Elevation
[edit]
The ski area consists of three peaks:
- Sunrise Peak (elevation 10,700')
- Apache Peak (elevation 11,000')
- Base: 9,200 feet (2,800 m)
- Summit: 11,000 feet (3,400 m)
- Vertical drop: 1,800 feet (2nd highest in Arizona)
- Cyclone Circle (elevation 10,700')
Trails
[edit]Sunrise has 67 trails covering a skiable area of 1,200 acres (4.9 km2). The trails on the mountain have some sort of theme, such as Native American and Western names.
Beginner – 31 trails (46%)
Intermediate – 19 trails (28%)
Advanced/Expert – 14 trails (21%)- Advanced/Expert – 3 trails (4%)
Lifts
[edit]
| Lift name | Capacity | Length (feet) |
Vertical (feet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise High-Speed | High-speed quad | 6800 | 1400 |
| Pony | Fixed double | 295 | 50 |
| Rustler | Fixed quad | 3950 | 875 |
| Fort Apache | Fixed triple | 5180 | 620 |
| Geronimo | Fixed triple | 4505 | 1000 |
| Spirit Ridge | Fixed quad | 3900 | 550 |
| Beginner Surface Lift | Single surface lift | 300 | 42 |
| Cyclone Cord | Swiss Cord surface lift | 650 | 50 |
- 8 Total operational lifts
- 1 High-speed quad chairs
- 2 Fixed quad chairs
- 2 Fixed triple chairs
- 1 Fixed double chairs
- 2 Surface lifts
- Uphill Capacity – 16,000 skiers per hour
Summer
[edit]The summer season at Sunrise Park Resort usually runs from Memorial Day weekend through September or October, depending on weather and other factors. Sunrise offers several summer activities, including downhill mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, a zip line course, a tubing hill, a rock climbing wall, hiking, and 3D archery.
Mountain bike trails
[edit]There are 22 mountain bike trails, and an array of side trails.[7] The trail system is primarily located on Sunrise Peak, with one trail (Ba'cho) traveling over to Apache Peak and Cyclone Circle. All trails converge at the base of Sunrise Peak, where riders can load on the Sunrise Express (Lift 1, high-speed quad) or the Spirit Ridge (Lift 8, fixed grip quad lift) to access the trails.
- Easy – 6 trails (27%)
- Intermediate – 3 trails (14%)
- Difficult – 8 trails (36%)
- Expert – 5 trails (23%)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Trails and Camera".
- ^ Anne, Groebner (April 1, 2026). "Outdoors Southwest". Outdoors Southwest. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
- ^ a b "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Flagstaff". National Weather Service. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Sunrise MTN, AZ". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ^ "Day Passes". Sunrise Park Resort. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ "Winter Activities". Sunrise Park Resort. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
- ^ "Downhill Mountain Biking". Sunrise Park Resort.
External links
[edit]