Mountain Creek is a ski resort in Vernon Township, Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on New Jersey Route 94, from the George Washington Bridge. Mountain Creek contains of land for skiing area, night skiing, snowboarding, and snowmaking activities. The resort also includes a snow tubing park, zip-lines, an alpine coaster, and a seasonal water park that operates from May to September. Mountain Creek was owned and operated by Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc. until May 2010 when it was sold to neighboring Crystal Springs Resort. Crystal Springs then sold the property to a New Jersey family. On May 5, 2017, Mountain Creek filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The resort emerged from bankruptcy in August 2019. History 1965–71: Great Gorge Resort Great Gorge Resort was founded in McAfee, an unincorporated area of Vernon Township, in 1965 by three families (the Kurlanders, Fitzgeralds, and Bakers) who worked at the now-closed Snow Bowl Ski Resort in Milton, New Jersey. Great Gorge was built on the former Fredericks farm. Mountain Creek's Bear and South Peaks were the original Great Gorge Resort, with the current South Base Ski Patrol building serving as the Base Lodge. The original lodge was designed by Alexander McIlvaine, who also designed the lodges at Stratton Mountain in Vermont and Squaw Valley in Olympic Valley, California. The World's Fair was held in Flushing, NY in 1964-1965. When the fair closed, the entire contents of the Swiss Pavilion were purchased and were transported to be incorporated into the new lodge at Great Gorge. Great Gorge was the first ski area in the United States to use a jet engine to power their snow making operation's air compressors. The jet engine was purchased from the Curtiss-Wright Company in Fairfield, New Jersey. The jet engine was located in a building in the parking lot across the street from the new lodge. Skiers Donna Weinbrecht and Jamie Kurlander, who have been inducted into the Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame, skied at Great Gorge. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Great Gorge ski area hosted a summer zoo at the base of the mountain. The ski area also had a ski jump that was used all year long. In the off seasons, Sno-Mats were used on the trails as well as on the jump and landing area. In the winter, the ski jump was covered with snow. Grass skiing