All Images: Courtesy of Eagle Point Ski Resort
Summer after summer, record heat waves and wildfires bombard the western United States. This year is no different, as Utah, Colorado and New Mexico are all awash with Red Flag Warnings, meaning critical fire conditions exist at present, or will shortly arrive. One such fire, the Cottonwood Fire in central Utah, dealt a devastating blow to Eagle Point Ski Resort and the surrounding homes just a few days ago.
Located 200 miles south of Salt Lake City in the Tushar Mountains, Eagle Point is a small resort that was revived just over a decade ago by current owner Shane Gadbaw. The ski area first closed on June 23 as the Cottonwood Fire spread, with relentless winds and high temperatures.
The strength of the blaze only grew, and after several days, it had devoured 70,000 acres, with containment sitting at 0%. While optimism remained at first, hope that tragedy would miss the resort quickly dwindled. By June 25, the flames encroached on Eagle Point and the surrounding community.
In all, the fire burned down half of the resort's 600 skiable acres, one of the two day lodges, over 100 condos, 30 cabins, a warming station, five snowmobiles, three vehicles, and a handful of maintenance tools. Four of the resort's five lifts were damaged as well, with crews still determining the full extent.
Photos from Eagle Pass Resort on June 29, 2026, after the Cottonwood Fire
June 29 marked the first time resort staff were able to enter the Tushars and see the wreckage, with families and homeowners escorted up the following day. Nearly 150 families lost homes or condos to the fire, which has now consumed over 93,000 acres.
Eagle Point took to social media, releasing a message to update the public and call for support for the community. "Our hearts are with everyone impacted by this fire. While it’s heartbreaking to see the damage, we are incredibly grateful that everyone was evacuated safely and that no lives were lost at the resort. We also extend our deepest thanks to the firefighters, first responders, and members of the community who worked tirelessly to protect lives and property - your dedication and bravery made a meaningful difference."
"Our team has just begun the work of assessing the property," the press release continued. "It will take time to fully understand the full scope of the damage. We ask for your patience as we gather accurate information and continue to share updates."
As of June 30, Eagle Point had informed FREESKIER that its top priorities were supporting impacted homeowners and families, ensuring the safety of all on-site personnel, and coordinating next steps for recovery and future operations.
While there are a lot of pieces to pick up, the resort stressed that a lot of crucial infrastructure survived, including the main Skyline Lodge, the Monarch lift and surrounding terrain, the Skyline terrain, Aspen Crest subdivision (with minimal tree damage), snowmaking pond and equipment, and cell phone and internet towers.
There is no doubt that wildfires will remain a prevalent part of ski resort management for the foreseeable future. Temperatures show no sign of slowing down, with NOAA reporting that the US has exceeded its average national temperature every year for the last 12 years. And with every single county in Utah and Colorado currently sitting in drought (ranging from Moderate to Exceptional), this is just one part of a broader puzzle.
Colorado is dealing with its own set of challenges, as the center of the state is in a D3 Extreme Drought, with temperatures soaring in the coming days and fires like the Aspen Acres Fire (50,000+ acres) and Gold Mountain Fire (18,000+ acres) continuing to grow with 0% containment. Our hearts and thoughts are with those across the country dealing with the onslaught of wildfires and drought.
The Cottonwood Fire is currently 19% contained, having burned 93,919 acres as of July 2, 2026. Please stay alert to Red Flag Warnings near you, as wildfires can expand rapidly. Evacuation orders are still in effect for Beaver County. For updates, check the Beaver County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.
