Buck Hill
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 Buck Hill
Location in the United States
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| Location | Burnsville, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Minneapolis |
| Coordinates | 44°43′26″N 93°16′59″W / 44.724°N 93.283°WCoordinates: 44°43′26″N 93°16′59″W / 44.724°N 93.283°W |
| Vertical | 262 ft (80 m) |
| Top elevation | 1,211 ft (369 m) |
| Base elevation | 949 ft (289 m) |
| Runs | 16 total - 6 easiest - 6 more difficult - 4 most difficult |
| Lift system | 2 quad chairlifts 1 triple chairlift 3 rope tows 2 magic carpets 1 snowtubing tow |
| Snowfall | 60 in (150 cm) |
| Snowmaking | yes |
| Night skiing | every night |
| Website | buckhill.com |
Buck Hill is a ski hill in the north central United States, in the city of Burnsville, Minnesota, a suburb south of Minneapolis. It is one of three ski areas within the Twin Cities metropolitan area; the others are Afton Alps and Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area. Buck Hill opened in 1954 and offers ski, snowboard, and tubing trails. Artificial snow is often utilized for maintaining the slopes, because while Minnesota's winters are cold, the snowfall is relatively low for a ski area, averaging less than 60 in (150 cm) per year.
Buck Hill faces east, overlooking the adjacent Interstate 35. It is owned by Don McClure, David and Corrine "Chip" Solner. The ski area is lighted for night skiing, and operates three chairlifts (2 quads, 1 triple) and multiple surface tows (trail map). The base area consists of a parking lot and a short strip of lodges. The ski runs use the east face of the physical hill, with the other sides occupied by residential housing, and a municipal water tower sharing the summit. The vertical drop of the ski area is a modest 310 feet (94 m).
Buck Hill was named by early settlers, who noticed its summit was a gathering spot for Mdewakanton Dakota to watch male deer (bucks) drink at Crystal Lake.
The ski area was started by Chuck Stone, who discovered the sport as a child recovering from polio, and had worked as a lift attendant at Suicide Six in Vermont. Returning to Minneapolis, he wanted to start a ski area, and went to the public library to search out viable topography. The present ski area of Buck Hill was the tallest hill close to the Twin Cities, but was on private land, part of a remote farm owned by Grace Whittier. Stone (and his fiancée Nancy) convinced Ms. Whittier to lease them the property, succeeding where previous wooers had failed, and the ski area began operating in 1954. Ms. Whittier left the property to St. Olaf College, in Northfield, Minnesota, upon her death.
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