Ligonier Township, PA – Laurel Mountain ski area in western Pennsylvania will remain closed this winter despite an operational agreement in place between the state and the owners of nearby Seven Springs.

A spokesperson with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which owns the ski area within Laurel Mountain State Park, indicated this week that more time is needed to rehabilitate and augment facilities at Laurel Mountain, which has been closed since 2005, the first winter that the ski area was operated by Seven Springs. The agency had earlier indicated that skiing and snowboarding could resume at Laurel Mountain as early as this winter.

Four years ago the state earmarked $6.5 million to improve the infrastructure at Laurel Mountain, but no renovations have yet taken place.