Deer Valley's New Gondola Project Progresses

Michael FultonMichael Fulton

TL;DR

Deer Valley Resort in Utah is making significant progress on its new gondola project, part of a major expansion plan set to transform the ski area.

Level Up Your Ski Day — Download SnowStash on the App Store

Deer Valley Resort Expands with New Gondola and Trails

Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, is in the midst of a substantial expansion project. The resort is preparing to unveil new terrain and lifts for the upcoming ski season, with the East Village Gondola as the centrepiece of this development. This 10-person gondola will connect the East Village to the summit of Park Peak, featuring a mid-station at Dutch Flat to access intermediate and advanced runs.

Utah Ski Resort Shares Progress On New Gondola Project - body image 1

Recent updates from Deer Valley show significant progress on the gondola project. The base terminal is nearing completion, demonstrating the rapid pace of construction that has been evident across the resort. This progress follows the successful installation of other new lifts, including the Galena Express and Pioche Express chairlifts, which were part of the initial phase of expansion.

The scope of Deer Valley's expansion is impressive. For the 2025-26 season, skiers and riders can look forward to 80 new trails and seven new lifts. This is in addition to the 19 trails, one trail extension, and three chairlifts that opened in the previous season.

The expansion also addresses infrastructure needs, with plans for 700 new parking spots at the East Village. This complements the 500 parking spots added in the 2024-25 season, ensuring improved access for visitors.

Deer Valley Resort's ambitious project represents one of the largest expansions in North American ski resort history. By significantly increasing its skiable terrain and lift capacity, Deer Valley is positioning itself as a premier destination for skiers and riders. The new gondola and additional lifts will enhance the resort's ability to move guests efficiently across the mountain, while the expanded trail network will offer a diverse range of skiing experiences for all skill levels.

About the author

Michael Fulton

Michael Fulton

Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

50+ resorts visited15 years skiing

Keep reading

More from the SnowStash desk

Arosa to Replace 40-Year-Old Hörnli Lifts With New Gondola and Chair

Arosa to Replace 40-Year-Old Hörnli Lifts With New Gondola and Chair

Arosa's Hörnli sector is getting its biggest overhaul in decades. The 1986 gondola and 1994 chairlift linking toward Lenzerheide are both being replaced, with capacity up, tower count down and a new base station lower on the hill. At roughly CHF 67 million, it is the largest single investment Arosa Bergbahnen has ever made - and the target opening has already slipped a year, to December 2028. Here is what is changing, and why the timeline moved.

20 Aug 2026
Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter

Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter

Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.

19 Aug 2026
Levi and Ruka Confirm October 2 Opening on Farmed Summer Snow

Levi and Ruka Confirm October 2 Opening on Farmed Summer Snow

Finland's Levi and Ruka open for the 2026-27 season on October 2, more than seven weeks before most of Europe sees a lift turn. Neither resort is waiting on autumn snowfall - both are skiing on snow buried since last spring, insulated through the Finnish summer and dug back out for opening day. It is not a shortcut. It is a decades-old system now spreading from the Arctic Circle to Idaho, Utah, Vermont and Colorado. Here is how snow farming actually works, and why it is catching on.

19 Aug 2026
Sölden's Old Einzeiger Chairlift Gets a Second Life in Montafon

Sölden's Old Einzeiger Chairlift Gets a Second Life in Montafon

Silvretta Montafon is replacing its ageing Freda chairlift - but not with something new. The resort is having a 1999 four-seater chairlift, retired from Sölden, dismantled, shipped to Vorarlberg and rebuilt with new electronics, cable and clamps. It has to be running before March 2027, when Silvretta Montafon hosts the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships - the biggest winter sports event Vorarlberg has staged. Here's how a reused lift ends up cheaper.

18 Aug 2026
Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season

Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season

Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.

17 Aug 2026
Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope

Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope

Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.

15 Aug 2026
Maverick Mountain's Only Chairlift Destroyed as Sand Creek Fire Tears Through Montana Ski Area

Maverick Mountain's Only Chairlift Destroyed as Sand Creek Fire Tears Through Montana Ski Area

Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.

15 Aug 2026
Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening

Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening

Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.

12 Aug 2026