Purgatory Resort has announced that the Purgatory Bike Park will not open during the 2025 season. The provided reason? The construction of a new triple chairlift and five new ski trails this summer.
However, a quick check of the map reveals that the planned chairlift and terrain expansion do not overlap any existing bike park trails. So why the closure?
According to a press release posted on the resort’s website by General Manager Dave Rathbun, the construction of the chairlift will require “significant resources and manpower.”
“In order to prioritize the ski lift and trail construction in our effort to ‘give people the freedom to ski,’ and at the same time ensure the safety of our guests, homeowners and employees throughout the summer and fall, the Purgatory Bike Park will be taking a sabbatical this season,” writes Rathbun. “This temporary closure will allow us to focus our efforts and resources on the construction project. We understand this may be disappointing for our avid mountain bikers, and we appreciate your understanding.
“Although the Purgatory Bike Park will be closed, we will not be idle when it comes to our bike trails. We will be taking this time to continue improving and maintaining our existing trails, ensuring they are in top condition for when the park reopens. We are committed to providing an even better mountain biking experience in the future.”
Logging impacts on bike park trails
Even though the new Gelande lift does not directly overlap the bike park trails, the trail network will still be impacted by the lift construction. “The broader scope of the construction project requires extensive use of mountain roads, staging areas, and equipment access routes that intersect with portions of the bike park network,” said Matt Ericksen, Director of Marketing for Purgatory Resort. “After careful consideration, we made the decision to pause mountain biking for the 2025 summer season in the interest of guest and crew safety.”
Ericksen said that closing the bike park “was not an easy decision,” as “many on our team at Purgatory are passionate riders ourselves.” He reiterated that this downtime will prove to be a long-term game for the bike park.
Trail improvements during 2025
Ericksen says that they want to “elevate the entire mountain biking experience at Purgatory.” But what exactly does this look like?
During the downtime in 2025, “our team will be working on comprehensive maintenance and upgrades across all existing trails, from addressing wear and erosion to improving flow, drainage, and overall rideability,” according to Ericksen. “We’re also taking time to gather feedback, reassess trail usage patterns, and identify where enhancements or reroutes can improve the rider experience.”
The Purgatory Bike Park hasn’t seen a new trail addition in many years, and riders are champing at the bit for new and better trails in the park. Unfortunately, no new trails are planned for the 2026 season, but future trail expansion is currently being discussed.
“We’re actively exploring options for new trails that add variety and progression to the network,” said Ericksen. “While plans are still in development, we’re excited about the potential for new features that appeal to both returning riders and those new to the sport and to the area!”
Do rumors of financial struggles at Purgatory hold water?
Rumors have been swirling late in the 2024/2025 ski season of financial struggles at Purgatory. In March, an internal email was leaked indicating that Purgatory may be in financial distress (although Purgatory has disavowed the leaked text). The email begins by saying, “Purgatory is now officially at the highest level of concern. We need to do EVERYTHING in our power to control costs and save money from now through the end of the fiscal year. We need to add $900k to our bottom line between now and April 31. That’s 20% off the top, or $14,000 every day.”
The memo goes on to say that the resort will be shuffling full-time, year-round staff around to fill gaps without hiring any new seasonal staff. During late March and early April, it was common to see employees with name tags denoting them as “IT Admin” and other management and director-level positions within the resort scanning tickets at the bottom of the chairlift.
According to an article published by the Durango Herald, Rathbun said that the “text allegedly copied from an email sent by Mountain Capital Partners management, which owns Purgatory, to the resort’s management is fabricated, […] and he called some of the statements in it inaccurate.”
However, a source at Purgatory familiar with the matter confirmed that the memo had been sent to employees.
Even so, it appears the memo may have been blown out of proportion. According to Rathbun’s statements to the Durango Herald, Purgatory is in the process of refinancing its primary business loan. The cost-cutting measures at the resort are likely an effort to show a favorable EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). However, Rathbun declined to give specifics on the debt refinancing.
Despite rumors of financial distress, Purgatory Resort asserts that they are “in a solid financial position and remain focused on long-term growth and investment in our guest experience,” according to Ericksen. “The new lift construction project is one of the largest capital improvements in our recent history and reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing the resort. We also have plans to invest significant capital in the coming years to enhance the guest experience across both winter and summer operations.”
“We understand that the temporary closure of the Mountain Bike Park may be an adjustment, but we are confident that the long-term benefits of the new Gelande chairlift and ski terrain will be well worth it. We appreciate your patience and support as we work to enhance our mountain experience for everyone. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Purgatory Bike Park when it reopens,” Rathbun concludes.
Updated with comments from Matt Ericksen, Director of Marketing, at 5pm MDT, April 9, 2025.
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