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To enrich and improve the lives of Baker, Union, Grant, and Wallowa County residents, especially youth, through enhancing local, year-round outdoor recreational opportunities, focusing on stewardship, education, and promotion of outdoor activities, and ensuring that all opportunities/activities are provided in an affordable manner.
Currently, and since 2010, Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort, LLC. (ALMR) is owned and operated by Anthony Lakes Outdoor Recreation Association (formerly, BCDC, Inc.) a 501 c3 nonprofit organization. Governed by a passionate and dedicated board of directors, all who have grown up skiing at Anthony Lakes, Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort is a quaint and familiar ski hill with a lot of local love. Since the 1930’s, locals have strived to keep the ski area alive and well to carry on the traditions of trudging through the Elkhorn mountains to preserve the lifelong sport of skiing in Eastern Oregon.
It was in 2010 when the previous owners were ready to cut ties with a financially failing ski area. Those owners offered the ski area to the local communities: namely Union and Baker County.
The then Baker County Commission Chair, Fred Warner, stuck his neck out for the beloved ski area. He simply didn’t want to see the ski area close and lose one of Eastern Oregon’s most cherished places. Warner and Baker County moved forward using an existing, yet vacant county board to take on the ski area. Baker County Development Corporation (BCDC) was reinstated to operate a ski area. The Board of Directors were appointed, management was hired, and it was off to the races to save Anthony Lakes – a cornerstone to Baker and Union County winter recreation.
Warner knew how much the ski area meant to the local communities, and it was through Warner’s passion for Anthony Lakes that the ski area was given another chance.
While Anthony Lakes was never owned by Baker County, the county was instrumental in its revitalization. Fast forward 11 years to present day and Anthony Lakes Outdoor Recreation Association continues to reinvest in the ski area, its people, and the local communities. During the 2020 (Covid) winter ski season (December to April), the ski area brought over $1.3m to the local communities through the Lodging Partnership program, Support Local Lift Tickets, Baker 5J School discounts, local expenses, and staff wages.
Anthony Lakes ski area has always been well loved and visited. Past news clippings tell a story of a very busy ski area: approximately 300 cars and 1200 people who showed for opening day races in 1938; over 500 spectators showed up for ski jumping events in 1949; 150 cars in the parking lot on a nice January day in 1965; an estimated 1200-1500 people at the area on a single day (Winter Carnival) in February 1967; a recorded 40,000 total visitors in 91 days of operation in 1969 (more total skier visits than in recent decades).
Some 80 plus years later, Anthony Lakes continues to be the happy place for many, both locals and visitors. With continued partnerships, stewardship, and positive minded people, ALORA will go forward in providing outdoor recreation opportunities for Eastern Oregon.
Throughout its 60 plus year history as an established ski area, Anthony Lakes has witnessed various owners and management. Below is a history timeline of Anthony Lakes, highlighting pivotal moments including change in management and / or ownership.
A special thank you to the Brinton family, Stan Ingram’s “A Tale of Two Skis,” Jim Patton, Amy Barnes Warner and Kristie Osborn Jesenko, for help in compiling the history outlined below.
