Here’s what is happening with that huge mound of dirt off Sunnyside Road in Idaho Falls
September 18, 2023
14,161
153
15
1.19%
Search the Record
IndexedEvery word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
East Idaho News Episodes Around September 18, 2023
See what was published immediately before and after this episode.
2:51Now PlayingHere’s what is happening with that huge mound of dirt off Sunnyside Road in Idaho Falls
YouTube Description
as posted by the channel#eastidahonews #kellycanyon #tube
IDAHO FALLS — A massive mound of dirt near Ryder Park on Sunnyside Road in Idaho Falls will soon be transformed into a winter wonderland.
Gateway to Kelly Canyon was given the green light to move forward by the Idaho Falls City Council Thursday night. The site will become a “premier” tubing hill as a partnership between Kelly Canyon and the city.
“We are so excited for this state-of-the-art tubing hill. This is not your average hill – it’s the Disneyland of tube parks,” says Mike VanSteenkiste, owner of Gateway to Kelly Canyon. “We’re bringing the mountain to the people. Kelly Canyon has been a lot of fun and now we are doing tubing for the people.”
VanSteenkiste opened Gateway Parks Eagle, a similar tubing structure, at Eagle Island State Park in western Idaho ten years ago and it’s been a big success. Owners plan to duplicate the model in Idaho Falls with visitors paying admission while booking 90 minute sessions online.
Two magic carpets will be constructed to carry riders to the top of the hill, concessions with hot chocolate will be for sale and free skiing and snowboarding will be offered on one side of the mound.
“One of our big goals is getting kids off screens. The winters are really tough here in Idaho Falls with the cold and not a lot of things to do so this will be a very fun vibe,” VanSteenkiste tells EastIdahoNews.com.
VanSteenkiste has been working for the city for over a year to make the project happen. Fresh sod will be installed in the coming weeks and snow-making machines will make sure the hill is always covered with plenty of white stuff during the winter.
“We are thrilled to have this high-quality recreational opportunity coming to Idaho Falls. Outdoor winter recreation is something Idahoans are forced to appreciate, or we have to lock ourselves inside for three quarters of the year,” says PJ Holm, Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Director. “As a park and recreation professional, I embrace and encourage private/public partnerships, like the one we have with Gateway to Kelly Canyon. They are helping to bring an exciting new experience to the residents and guests of our city.”
Gateway to Kelly Canyon already has an active following on social media. One video showing tubers at the Eagle location has been viewed over 10 million times and was featured on ESPN’s TikTok account.
The tube park is set to open in Idaho Falls around Thanksgiving and VanSteenkiste invites everyone to try it out.
“This is for the kids and for the community. I think we need something nowadays to give kids an experience to recreate. Stay tuned – this will be a lot of fun,” VanSteenkiste says.
Guests & Subjects Covered
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.