What’s New at Utah’s Ski Resorts This Year
We’re known for The Greatest Snow on Earth® around here, but let’s not forget the backbone of Utah’s exceptional winters: resort teams working year-round to improve Utah’s ski resorts. They’ve had a busy summer and preseason, to say the least. We have new lifts, brand new runs, and improvements in operational sustainability and safety. Here are the highlights.
Resorts Near Salt Lake City
A New Day Lodge at Alta Ski Area
Albion Base skiers, rejoice: an exciting update is coming this season. The newly renovated Albion Day Lodge will open this winter, offering brand new indoor and patio dining spaces, gear storage, and fireside lounging. Plus, guests will now enjoy indoor and outdoor service at the popular Alta Java Café.
In addition to skier amenities, Alta has installed another Wyssen Tower (RACS) unit at Devil’s Castle, the 19th tower installed at the ski area to improve avalanche mitigation and skier safety.
Night Skiing at Brighton
A favorite season pass option gets an upgrade this year at Brighton with the introduction of the Off-Peak Pass. The pass gives riders and skiers access to Brighton between 9AM and 2PM on most non-holiday weekdays, plus uninterrupted night skiing access. That means you can ride Brighton after 2PM every day of the week, weekends included, without blackout dates.
Speaking of which, night skiing operations will see a new schedule this year. Sunday will open for night skiing, shifting the weekly maintenance closure to Tuesday evening instead. Cheers, that's another five hours of weekend turns!
Lifts & Learning at Snowbird
Chickadee has been a training ground for skiers and riders at Snowbird for more than 50 years. This year, families and developing skiers will love the new, comfortable four-seat chairlift. Snowbird has also expanded Chickadee’s terrain, offering a better learning environment for guests of all ages and abilities.
As for the rest of the mountain, Snowbird is introducing 11 new fully automated snowmaking guns to improve coverage and snowmaking capabilities.
Snowmaking & Commitments At Solitude Mountain Resort
Some things are new at Solitude this year, and some things aren’t changing. The news is expanded snowmaking capabilities, including fixed and mobile snow guns, and operational improvements that should increase coverage and capacity across the resort.
What’s staying the same? Solitude is back with its commitment to Utah’s longest ski season, plus signature events like the winter DJ, Solidaze and more.
Expanded Lift Access at Sundance Mountain Resort
Where are my Bishop’s Bowl skiers at? This one is for you. Sundance is debuting the Electric Horseman Lift this year, a high-speed quad chairlift spanning Wildwood Base to Bearclaw Summit on the back mountain. It should be a welcome improvement for skiers and riders who prefer spending their days on Sundance’s steeper runs.
Best of all, the new lift opens and accesses a 105-acre bowl of new terrain adjacent to Bishop’s Bowl. That’s 1,850 vertical feet of new terrain served by a six-minute lift ride. Hard not to love that.
Salt Lake’s First MICHELIN Star
Rounding out Salt Lake ski area news, we were happy to see Monte designated as Utah’s first-ever MICHELIN Star restaurant. Eight more restaurants near Salt Lake and Park City were recognized in MICHELIN’s American Southwest Guide. Those are well-deserved accolades for the ever-evolving food scene waiting at the base of Utah’s ski resorts.
See Utah’s MICHELIN restaurants here
Resorts Near Park City
Even More Terrain At Deer Valley Resort
Since December of 2024, Deer Valley has more than doubled in size. That marks the largest resort expansion in ski industry history, and there is more on the way. Deer Valley will spin the all-new Hail Peak Express lift this year, opening 200 skiable acres of new terrain near the East Village. On the other end of the East Village, the resort is also building a family-friendly snow feature zone at Pioche Express offering rollers and berms for an introductory ski cross experience.
Looking beyond expanded terrain and new offerings, Deer Valley continues to invest in snowmaking operations. A new snowmaking reservoir will be strategically integrated with existing operations this year, improving snow conditions while recapturing 80-90% of water used for snow production in the area.
Superpipe & Skyway Gondola at Park City Mountain
The 2026–27 season is shaping up to be a big one at Park City Mountain, which is kicking things off with its new “Larger Than Life” campaign. First up, a new Canyon Village Skyway Gondola replaces the open-air Cabriolet lift, making the connection between the Canyon Village Forum and its parking structure more comfortable and convenient for guests.
On the opposite side of the resort, trail and terrain crews have rebuilt the dirt foundation of the resort’s superpipe. Join us on the mountain in January to see it showcased in Shaun White’s The Snow League, where athletes will be throwing down their best on the fine-tuned feature.
Northern Utah Resorts
Marge’s Cabin Welcomes You To Beaver Mountain
Beaver Mountain, Utah’s northernmost resort, is welcoming skiers back for another great season and invites you to visit Marge’s Cabin. Built last year, this new day lodge is a perfectly cozy spot to grab a bite and take in the views from its coveted sundeck.
RFID Passes At Nordic Valley
Families love skiing at Nordic Valley, and with good reason. The resort offers approachable terrain, great pricing, and a friendly environment. The biggest hurdle (before this season) was procuring that ticket and managing it in the lift line. Well, forget those extra steps because Nordic Valley is moving to RFID passes this season. That’s a measurable improvement to getting your family on the mountain, where every inch is worth a mile.
New Lifts & Terrain At Powder Mountain
Powder Mountain is serving everyone on the mountain with lift updates at the Sundown Base Area this year. Expert skiers are looking forward to the new DMI lift, which will serve 1,000+ acres of advanced terrain that could only be accessed by boot pack or guided tour last season. Opposite the new DMI terrain, a comfortable high-speed four-seat lift replaces the aging Sundown Lift, which had a reputation for being a cold, slow ride. Simply put, don’t overlook Sundown this season at a resort with numerous basecamps to choose from.
Meadow Pavilion Updates At Snowbasin Resort
Snowbasin has announced that The Meadow Pavilion, located near the base, is expanding for the upcoming season. Commonly used as a basecamp for lunches, ski school students, and gathering your party before hitting the slopes, a spacious expansion is exactly what your ski day needs to get off on the right foot.
Resorts in Southern Utah
Preparing For Super El Niño at Brian Head Ski Resort
As you may have seen, Brian Head is positioned to be one of the biggest winners if Super El Niño delivers above-average storms to Utah this winter. Not to be a surprise, the resort has been making operational updates throughout the summer. Improved snowmaking efforts will allow more snow guns to run simultaneously on Navajo Mountain, and routine work on existing lifts will ensure we’re ready for a great winter season.
A New Surface Lift At Snowland Resort
In a way, Snowland Resort is “What’s New” to the Utah ski scene. The small community resort near Fairview, Utah, reopened last season after spending more than forty years closed, and is continuing improvements in its second season. The resort’s sole tow rope will be accompanied by a new surface lift coming this winter, and dedicated tube runs are in the works. Pay a visit to Snowland Resort this year if you’re looking for a smaller, affordable ski day.
A New Beginning For Eagle Point
Finally, an update on operations at Eagle Point. The Cottonwood Fire, a 97,000-acre wildfire that exploded across central Utah, ravaged Eagle Point over the summer. In a tragic blink-of-an-eye, nearby communities lost so much to a natural disaster. Eagle Point announced its closure for the 2026–27 season soon after the fire was contained. That’s not where this story ends.
“While the losses are significant, the fire did not destroy the spirit of this community… the question is not whether this community will recover. The question is how we work together to get there.” - Shane Gadbaw, Eagle Point Resort Owner
That announcement came in July 2026. Now, roughly four months later, Eagle Point has shared that the Canyonside Lodge cleanup is complete, clearing a path towards recovery. Lifts are currently being assessed, and the damage is expected to be manageable. The resort is working closely with state transportation and utility companies to restore access and power, and will continue to provide updates. It’s an incredible recovery, a promising vision, and something we should all support if we’re able.
You can support Eagle Point and its surrounding communities at BeaverTUF.org
