Eagle Point Resort, Utah, has released a detailed assessment of the devastation caused by the Cottonwood Fire, offering a sobering look at the damage while reaffirming its commitment to rebuilding. During a media tour on Wednesday, July 9, resort owner Shane Gadbaw guided local officials and reporters through portions of the burn area and announced the creation of a new nonprofit foundation to support the community’s recovery.
The fire caused extensive damage throughout the resort and the surrounding Eagle Point community. According to current assessments, 145 families lost homes or condominiums, approximately 300 of the resort’s 600 skiable acres were impacted, Canyonside Lodge and the Tushar Ridge Warming Station were destroyed, and four of the resort’s five chairlifts sustained damage and are still being evaluated. SnowBrains previously reported this on June 30.
Despite the destruction, several major pieces of infrastructure survived the fire, including Skyline Lodge, the Monarch Lift, much of the resort’s north side terrain, snowmaking infrastructure, and communications towers. “While the losses are significant, the fire did not destroy the spirit of this community,” Gadbaw said. “The question isn’t whether this community will recover. The question is how we work together to get there.”
Perhaps the best news to come from the disaster is that no one was injured during the fire. “Buildings can be rebuilt,” Gadbaw said. “The fact that no lives were lost is something we will never stop being grateful for.”
function sbSubscribe() {
var email = document.getElementById(‘sb-email’).value;
if (!email || !email.includes(‘@’)) {
document.getElementById(‘sb-email’).style.borderColor = ‘#D7424E’;
return;
}
var url = ‘https://snowbrains.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=1f247afab0a546e393c022f9a&id=bcbf6caf6b&f_id=003bf2e0f0’;
var data = new FormData();
data.append(‘EMAIL’, email);
data.append(‘tags’, ‘2188762’);
data.append(‘b_1f247afab0a546e393c022f9a_bcbf6caf6b’, ”);
fetch(url, { method: ‘POST’, body: data, mode: ‘no-cors’ });
document.getElementById(‘sb-form-wrap’).style.display = ‘none’;
document.getElementById(‘sb-success’).style.display = ‘block’;
}
The resort emphasized that recovery is still in its earliest stages. Before rebuilding can begin, crews must complete infrastructure inspections, restore utilities, conduct insurance and environmental assessments, and coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies.
Although Eagle Point intends to rebuild, Gadbaw said it is too early to determine what that process will look like or how long it will take.
As part of the recovery effort, Eagle Point also announced the launch of BeaverTUF, a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that will help fund recovery projects throughout Beaver County. In the near term, the organization will focus on filling gaps left by insurance and government assistance by supporting restoration projects and community needs. Long-term, the foundation plans to invest in youth programs, scholarships, educational initiatives, and other community partnerships. “We’ve seen an incredible outpouring of support from people who want to help,” Gadbaw said. “BeaverTUF gives them a meaningful way to do that.”
The resort also addressed questions surrounding the upcoming 2026-27 ski season. With damage assessments still underway, Eagle Point has not finalized its operating plans for next winter. Eagle Point said season passholders will be contacted in the coming weeks with several options, including refunds, while guests with existing reservations will be contacted directly as more information becomes available.
The Cottonwood Fire burned roughly half of Eagle Point’s skiable terrain, but the resort’s leadership remains optimistic that the mountain and the Beaver County community will recover, even if the rebuilding process takes years.
PHOTOS
