Few destinations in the ski industry have built at the pace or the scale that Utah ski resorts have these past two winters. With the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games drawing closer, the spotlight remains fixed on the state’s unmatched mountain access, its expanding resort infrastructure and its appetite for ambitious projects. Throughout the 2026-27 season, the largest resort expansion in ski industry history will continue; more than 1,000 acres of new terrain will open while new and upgraded lifts will deliver skiers to scenic Utah mountain peaks. Less than a decade out from the Winter Games, the mountains set to host them are already underway with preparations.
Alta Ski Area
This season, skiers will discover a new place to relax, dine, and enjoy the stunning scenery around Alta’s Albion base area before beginning their day on the slopes. Concluding a multiyear construction project, the Albion Day Lodge renovation and expansion will be completed for winter 2026-27. Enormous windows and mountain views frame 3,400 square feet of additional dining space and expanded patio seating for the Albion Grill. The new east wing will also harbor 12 new employee housing units and administrative offices. The lower level provides a cozy new lounge with a fireplace, cubbies for day use, additional lockers for seasonal rental, and a new, larger space for the beloved Alta Java café with indoor/outdoor service.
One additional Wyssen Tower (RACS) unit was installed in the Devil’s Castle area to aid the Alta Ski Patrol with avalanche mitigation and efficiency in opening powder skiing terrain. Alta now contains a total of 19 Wyssen Towers.
Brian Head Resort
Brian Head Resort is investing more than $2 million in snowmaking, lift infrastructure and guest services ahead of the 2026-27 ski season, scheduled to begin November 6, weather permitting. Advance-purchase lift tickets will start at $9 on select dates.
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Nearly $1 million of the investment went toward snowmaking upgrades. A new pipeline will improve snowmaking efficiency and allow crews to operate up to 24 snow guns simultaneously on Navajo Mountain, compared with 16 to 18 previously. The upgrade supports faster snowmaking on the Paradise trail and beginner terrain near the Kids Camp Conveyor and Pioneer lift.
Children ages 12 and younger ski free all season with the Power Kids Pass, which requires no additional purchase and has no blackout dates.
Deer Valley Resort
Deer Valley Resort’s newest lift, Hail Peak Express, will add 200 skiable acres and seven new runs this winter season. The addition brings the resort’s snowmaking coverage up to 932 acres and 32 total lifts. One of the seven runs that will debut this year on Hail Peak, “Hill Yeah,” pays tribute to Hill Air Force Base in northern Utah and reinforces the shared commitment behind the Salute to Service program—an initiative that honors service members and military families through exclusive lodging, lift ticket and resort offerings.
Since December of 2024, Deer Valley skiing has more than doubled in size, marking the largest resort expansion in ski industry history with 11 new chairlifts and 4,500 skiable acres for the 2026-27 winter season.
A new 10-million-gallon reservoir will work in tandem with the existing Summit Pump House to pump 10,000 gallons of water per minute for increased snowmaking efforts. The pond will have the ability to send water to every snowmaking gun on the resort’s east side, plus an additional 10,000 gallons per minute from Ventana, for a total of 20,000 gallons per minute for the entire east system. 80% to 90% of water used for snowmaking will return to its water source, either the Jordanelle Reservoir or the Provo River.
Tentatively slated to be located on the green run, Pirate King, off Pioche Express, is a family-friendly snow feature zone that includes rollers, berms, and more for a mild ski cross experience. Humbug will also feature flowy rollers, along with a dedicated family-friendly area on McHenry ski run.
Eagle Point Resort
Due to the Cottonwood Fire, which destroyed Eagle Point’s lodge and affected four of its five lifts, as well as the subsequent flooding that washed out Highway 153, Eagle Point will not be open this season. The resort looks forward to welcoming guests back in the future.
Those who would like to support the area’s recovery can donate at BeaverTUF.org. Beaver TUF is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established following the Cottonwood Fire to support long-term recovery, restoration, and resilience efforts throughout Beaver County. Donations help fund critical recovery projects and provide matching funds needed to pursue larger state and federal grants for forest restoration, watershed recovery, and wildfire-resilience initiatives.
Nordic Valley Ski Resort
Nordic Valley’s newest high-speed six-person chair, Nordic Express, nearly doubles the number of available ski runs at Nordic Valley and features terrain for all skill levels. Beginning winter 2026-27, season passes at Nordic Valley will feature RFID technology. Pick up a brand-new RFID pass card at Nordic Valley’s mountain kiosks, then keep it in a pocket for easy scanning and faster access to the lifts. Children ages 12 and younger ski free all season with the Power Kids Pass, which requires no additional purchase and has no blackout dates.
Park City Mountain
The brand-new Canyons Village Skyway Gondola will enhance the guest arrival experience by seamlessly connecting guests from the new Canyons Village Parking Structure to the Canyons Village Forum.
The Remote Avalanche Control System in Limelight Bowl on lower Pinecone Ridge will allow Ski Patrol to safely and efficiently trigger avalanche mitigation with the push of a button. The new system will also allow patrol teams to open the Quicksilver Gondola connection sooner.
Over the summer, Park City Mountain rebuilt the superpipe’s dirt foundation using 3D terrain modeling to help shape the finished pipe, significantly reducing the amount of snow required to build and open it each winter. The superpipe will host the world’s best halfpipe skiers and riders during The Snow League event in January.
Powder Mountain
A new Skytrac fixed-grip triple chair will serve a zone known locally as DMI. Set to open as soon as conditions in the 2026-27 season allow, the lift will provide public access to more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, 900 of which is lift-served, with 2,200 feet of vertical drop. This zone sits beneath James Peak, the resort’s highest point. It’s an expansive area on the eastern shoulder of the mountain, dropping toward Ogden Valley. DMI is the steepest lift Skytrac has constructed to date, turning terrain of wide-open alpine bowls and spines, tight chutes and cliff bands into a lift-accessible area with 25 named trails.
Sundown Express is a brand-new high-speed quad that is replacing the old Sundown fixed-grip quad. This new chair will cut down ride time and increase uphill capacity, enhancing both the day and night skiing experience for guests. The Sundown Express Lift is expected to start spinning for the 2026-27 season.
Starting in the 2026-27 season, kids 12 and younger now ski for free with the purchase of an adult pass (Unlimited Adult, Senior, or Military pass). With a single adult pass, purchasers receive up to two free Season Passes for children 12 and younger. In addition to Kids Ski Free, Teen Pass pricing has also been reduced. Also new for this season, kids six and younger ski free every day, all season long (previously age four and younger). No season pass purchases are required.
Snowbasin Resort
The Meadow Pavilion gives guests more room to spread out during après-ski, whether that’s grabbing a table for lunch, catching up, or just sitting down for a minute before the next run. It’s also a solid home base for ski school students, giving them a comfortable spot to gather and regroup between lessons, and it’s now home to the resort’s ticketing office, making it an easy first stop when arriving at the mountain
Snowbird
The Chickadee Chairlift, Snowbird’s beginner chairlift, has been entirely replaced as a four-passenger chairlift opening this winter season. Built by SkyTrac, this fixed-grip quad, coupled with expanded terrain under the chairlift, has been better aligned to improve the learning environment for guests of all ages and ability levels.
Snowbird has invested in 11 new fully automated snowmaking guns and the overall infrastructure, enhancing the early-season ski experience on its legendary terrain.
Solitude Mountain Resort
Solitude’s commitment to offering Utah’s longest ski and ride season continues in 2026-27 with another major investment in snowmaking. New fixed and mobile snow guns, along with system-wide improvements, will increase both snowmaking coverage and capacity across the mountain. The multimillion-dollar project builds on more than $5 million invested in snowmaking improvements last season.
Off the mountain, Solitude’s winter DJ and event series returns for 2026-27, along with Solidaze, Solitude’s Ikon Pass loyalty program. Solidaze rewards Ikon Pass holders for skiing and riding more days at Solitude, Utah’s only unlimited Ikon Pass destination.
Sundance Mountain Resort
Electric Horseman, a new high-speed quad, makes its debut at Sundance this winter. The lift carries skiers more than 1,850 vertical feet per lap in a six-minute ride and puts the resort’s entire back mountain within reach of a single chair. Guests can now reach the summit in just two lift rides from the parking lot.
The lift also opens 100 acres of new terrain. Its signature run, Storyteller, is an upper-intermediate groomer cut along the ridgeline formerly known as the Far East Ridgeline, named for the storytelling tradition that has shaped Sundance since its founding.
Around Town
Park City
In July 2026, 30 Park City businesses received Accessibility Verified designation from Wheel the World, the trusted standard for verified accessibility in travel. This coveted recognition reflects Park City’s unwavering commitment to welcoming and supporting travelers with disabilities across hotels, attractions, restaurants, transportation, and community services. Park City aims to onboard additional partners in 2027, with a goal of bringing the total number of participating local businesses to more than 60.
Two hotel rebrands will launch in 2027. Albion Park City, formerly Main & Sky, will offer 33 luxury suites and penthouses, most with patio jacuzzis and outdoor decks that overlook historic Main Street, Deer Valley Resort, and Park City Mountain. The DoubleTree – Yarrow will be transformed into Outbound Park City, featuring reimagined guestrooms and suites, revitalized common spaces, redesigned courtyards and refreshed food and beverage outlets.
The Chateaux Deer Valley
The Chateaux Deer Valley completed a property renovation this summer by adding a porte-cochere. Guests can now access the property from the front of the building with full-service valet. Chateaux Deer Valley has completely renovated its guest rooms, amenity space, lobby, and restaurant, with the porte-cochere completing an investment of more than $10 million over the past three years.
Heber Valley
Following the groundbreaking in April 2026, construction is underway on The Slope, a new walkable alpine village along the Provo River, minutes from Deer Valley East Village. Anchored by Andaz Heber Valley, the luxury brand’s first mountain resort, the development will include 85 hotel rooms, more than 200 branded residences, restaurants, shops, wellness amenities, and a family-friendly snow tubing hill. The first phase of villa residences is expected to open in 2027, followed by the hotel in 2029.
The brand-new 180-room Canopy Deer Valley marks the brand’s Utah and ski resort debut as one of the first properties to open in the highly anticipated Deer Valley East Village. Located at the base of Deer Valley Resort’s East Village expansion, the hotel offers immediate access to the Jordanelle Express Gondola and sweeping views of Deer Valley Resort and the Jordanelle Reservoir. Guests can enjoy a range of amenities, including an indoor pool, hot tub and cold plunge, fitness center, ski reception and locker rooms, and flexible meeting spaces. The hotel also introduces four original food and beverage concepts, including signature Italian trattoria Tavolona, lively lounge Fornetto, all-day café Mountain Provisions, and Alpine Attic, a rooftop destination with sweeping mountain views and seasonal programming.
Homestead enters winter 2026-27 with newly completed guest room accommodations and the new Autograph Collection Homestead Residences, an exclusive collection of upscale residences designed for luxury, comfort, and mountain access. The property features six newly completed year-round heated pools, public dining at Milk House, and continued access to the geothermal Crater at Homestead. Guests can book guided winter adventures onsite through Adventourage and use shuttle services to Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain Resort during the winter season.
Provo Scenic Skiway
Travelers flying into Provo Airport can reach Sundance Mountain Resort in about 30 minutes. U.S. 189, now designated the Provo Scenic Skiway, climbs from University Avenue through Provo Canyon, passing Bridal Veil Falls and Deer Creek Reservoir. The route then enters the Heber Valley, where Heber City offers lodging, dining, and a slower pace between ski days. From there, the road continues to Park City. The single route connects Sundance, Heber, Deer Valley and Park City Mountain, with canyon views and Mount Timpanogos along the way.
Ogden
A new boutique hotel is coming to the heart of downtown Ogden. Announced in May 2026, The Rumor Hotel will be part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio and a centerpiece of the $188 million WonderBlock development just off Historic 25th Street. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2026, with the hotel bringing new guest rooms, meeting space, dining, and a distinctive upscale lodging option to Ogden’s growing downtown.
The transformation of downtown Ogden continues in 2026 as the first pieces of the $188 million WonderBlock development come online. A new eight-level public parking structure opened this year, while the larger development will ultimately include 354 residential units, approximately 100,000 square feet of Class A office space, 50,000 square feet of retail, new restaurants and public gathering spaces connecting directly to the Historic 25th Street district.
Ogden’s airport experience continues to grow. Following a multimillion-dollar terminal modernization, travelers now have an indoor baggage claim and upgraded passenger facilities, while the locally owned Full Stop Diner & Pub is expected to open in October 2026 inside the terminal. Operated by the team behind downtown Ogden’s UTOG Brewing Company, the new aviation-themed restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and evening fare and feature the airport’s first full bar.
Salt Lake City
Visit Salt Lake has officially launched its new destination brand, “America’s Mountain City,” celebrating Salt Lake as the only U.S. city where a vibrant urban core exists within a mountain range. The campaign highlights the destination’s unique ability to pair world-class dining, arts, and nightlife with year-round mountain adventure, including easy access to 10 ski resorts within an hour of downtown.
The MICHELIN Guide just landed in Utah for the first time, and Salt Lake County made a massive statement. Across the entire four-state region (Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico), Salt Lake’s Monte earned the only MICHELIN Star awarded outside Nevada. Paired with three Bib Gourmand recognitions and two Recommended restaurants, Salt Lake County established itself as the standout culinary hub of the Mountain West.
