Blue Marsh Ski Resort (formerly named ''Mt. Heidelberg'') was a small
ski resort and winter sports complex that was located just outside
Bernville
Bernville (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Bannwill'') is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 955 at the 2010 census. Bernville is bordered by Penn Township to the north, east, and south and by Jefferson Township to the west.
Hi ...
, north of
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...
. The area shut down operations in 2005.
Blue Marsh offered
skiing,
snowboard
Snowboards are boards where the user places both feet, usually secured, to the same board. The board itself is wider than most skis, with the ability to glide on snow."snowboarding." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 17 Mar ...
ing, and
snow tubing
Tubing, also known as inner tubing, bumper tubing, towed tubing, or kite tubing, is a recreational activity where an individual rides on top of an inner tube, either on water, snow, or through the air. The tubes themselves are also known as "donu ...
with seven lifts and tows, including a triple, a double, a T-Bar, and four handle tows. The area included a Half Pipe and All Terrain Park, the Big Tube Park, the Kinder Tube Park, and the Wolverine Raft Park. Night skiing was offered every day except Sunday. Blue Marsh had a vertical of and about a dozen trails, the longest being {{convert, 2600, ft, m long. Blue Marsh marketed itself as being a great place to learn how to ski or snowboard, with reasonable lift ticket prices. In 2003, Blue Marsh offered an all-day (9 a.m. to 10 p.m.) weekday lift ticket for $25.
The owners of Blue Marsh ceased its operation at the conclusion of the 2005 ski season. They sold the mountain to developers who hoped to develop the land and build homes. On October 29, 2005, Blue Marsh held a public
auction, selling ski equipment including Pisten Bully Snow Cats, T-Bars, snow tubes, snowmobiles, lighting equipment, rental equipment, and china and glassware.
The resort is now reverting to nature, with little remnants left. All lifts and buildings were demolished with the exception of the former T-Bar Lift building at the top of the mountain and a few utility sheds located at the bottom. No homes have been built on the land yet, though plans still exist despite concerns of traffic volume on local roads and a significant change to the landscape.
2005 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
Defunct ski areas and resorts in Pennsylvania
Buildings and structures in Berks County, Pennsylvania