Loon Mountain Plans New Gondola, Glade Expansion, and South Peak Development
Published Date:
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Loon Mountain has been on a quiet infrastructure run for several years - and it looks like the pace isn't slowing down.
The New Hampshire resort has already ticked off a significant list of upgrades in recent years: the Kanc8 eight-person bubble chairlift, a refurbished high-speed quad replacing the Seven Brothers lift, snowmaking investment at North Peak, and the Timbertown base area expansion. What's coming next spans lift replacements, new terrain, and a growing real estate precinct at South Peak.
A New Gondola to Replace a 37-Year-Old System
The most significant lift project in the pipeline is a proposed replacement of the White Mountain Express gondola, which has been running since 1988. A proposal submitted to the U.S. Forest Service would see it replaced with a Doppelmayr D-Line system running 10-person Omega cabins - lifting capacity from around 1,000 people per hour to somewhere between 1,800 and 2,400.
Beyond the capacity increase, the base terminal would be relocated outside the existing Octagon Lodge footprint. The target opening is late 2027 or late 2028 depending on whether construction spans one or two offseasons.
300 Acres of New Glade Skiing Off Black Mountain
A separate Forest Service proposal covers a substantial glade expansion off Black Mountain. The plan would add 300 acres of tree skiing, accessed from an entry point at the top of the North Peak Express chairlift. An egress bridge would connect skiers back to the Brookway trail.
The Forest Service documentation suggests a potential 2027 season opening, though Loon hasn't formally announced the project and the timeline should be treated as indicative at this stage. The expansion follows snowmaking upgrades at North Peak carried out during the 2025 offseason.
For context, 300 acres of new terrain is a meaningful addition by any measure - roughly comparable to the entire skiable area of some smaller Australian resorts.
A Pulse Gondola Connecting Lincoln Town to the Mountain
Likely the next lift to actually be built at Loon is what would be New England's first pulse gondola - a system connecting the town of Lincoln directly to the Timbertown base area. Announced in 2024, the project is currently under review and was originally targeted for the 2025/26 season. That timeline has slipped and remains uncertain.
The gondola is designed to serve both existing Lincoln residents and the broader residential development underway at South Peak.
South Peak: Real Estate Is Moving Fast
South Peak has changed considerably in a short time. Two notable projects are currently underway.
The Heights is a new residential building at the end of the Boom Run trail, offering one- to three-bedroom residences. The Nest, currently under construction at the South Peak base area, is a members' club for South Peak homeowners - a lounge with a bar, fireplaces, a golf simulator, and a sit-down restaurant that will be open to the public. The longer-term plan also includes replacing the existing Pemi base lodge.
The overall picture at South Peak is a resort base area that's shifting from ski infrastructure toward a more mixed-use residential and hospitality precinct - a model that's become increasingly common at North American resorts over the past decade.