As sure as snow falls in the mountains, ski areas ramp up for the winter ahead with upgrades that can run the gamut from new runs and lifts to tweaks in ski school programs or on-mountain restaurant menus. This season, Park City skiers have a lot to enjoy including Deer Valley’s much-anticipated expansion and a welcomed new gondola at Park City Mountain Resort. Look for new runs and a new hotel at nearby Sundance Mountain Resort. Read on to find out the biggest news.
Deer Valley Resort
Most anticipated new slopes:
Since opening in 1981, skiers-only Deer Valley has consistently earned accolades for its luxurious amenities, impeccable grooming and top-notch guest service. But more recently the buzz has been about “Expanded Excellence,” the largest expansion in the resort’s history with ultimately 3,700 more acres of skiable terrain and a new base village on the east side.
Last winter, the resort teased the ambitious plan by opening three new lifts and 20 runs on more than 300 acres, along with access through the in-progress East Village. This season, seven more lifts will debut, including a gondola and a six-person bubble chair with heated seats, as well as some 80 runs on 2,000 additional acres. Next winter, plans call for yet another lift and seven more runs with the remaining new terrain slated for the near future, along a timeline yet to be set. At completion, the project will have more than doubled Deer Valley’s terrain, for a total of more than 5,700 acres across 10 peaks.
Mountain talked to Deer Valley Ski Patrol Manager Mark Chytka, who also oversees avalanche mitigation, for recommendations on skiing the new runs. Beginner skiers can find high alpine, yet gentle, terrain on the west side of Park Peak; reach it via the new East Village Express gondola or the new Pinyon Express six-pack.
Intermediates will want to unload off East Village Express at its mid-station to hit the runs on the peak known as Big Dutch, with about a thousand feet of vertical. “It’s comparable to skiing on Flagstaff,” says Chytka, “with lots of aspen glades.”
The expansion area’s expert terrain “is going to be something the regular Deer Valley guest hasn’t seen before,” he says. Look for long, sustained pitches off Park Peak, including ample glades and slopes broken up by cool rock features. And don’t miss skiing down the ridge to Redemption, a steep groomer that Chytka describes as “Stein’s Way on steroids” and double that iconic run’s length. That same ridge off Park Peak also drops into a series of black trails that provide both open runs and tree skiing.
Best way to bypass traffic:
Access Deer Valley’s East Village — which has 1,200 new parking spots — directly off Highway 40 near Jordanelle Reservoir, eliminating the need to navigate traffic backups in Park City proper. There’s lodging, too. Last winter, Grand Hyatt Deer Valley opened, and Four Seasons Resort and Residences Deer Valley is under construction, soon to be joined by Hilton’s first slopeside Canopy hotel. Development company Extell has partnered with Deer Valley to construct the village, which will eventually include additional hotels, residences, restaurants, shops and more. This winter look for East Village Lodge, an 8,000-square-foot temporary structure that houses cafeteria-style dining, ski rentals, the ski school, restrooms and a ski patrol base.
Luxest après ski venue:
Reserve a spot at Chute Eleven, the slopeside yurt next to Empire Canyon Lodge that opened in January 2025. Sip champagne and nosh on elevated snacks like lobster and caviar grilled cheese, and sought-after DJs will be spinning to amp up the vibe a few days each week so watch the schedule.
Park City Mountain Resort
Most appreciated lift upgrade:
At North America’s largest ski resort, there’s always something afoot. This winter, the biggest news is on the resort’s Canyons side. The 10-passenger Sunrise Gondola replaces the old two-seater Sunrise chairlift, not only whisking you up from Canyons Village that much faster, but also traveling higher up the mountain all the way to Red Pine Lodge. Another bonus: The gondola’s alignment has been designed to better withstand the high winds that can blow through the base area, so it will keep running when other lifts may temporarily close. Additionally, the first two levels of the new Canyons Village parking garage, at the bottom of the Cabriolet lift, open this winter, providing more spaces for all the gondola riders.
Best news for beginners:
The Red Pine Ski and Ride School Zone offers a reinvented learning experience for newbies. Accessed from the Sunrise gondola — so even never-evers can get higher up on the mountain — these slopes have been sculpted with a variety of pitches and terrain features designed to help new skiers and snowboarders taking lessons to progress along the learning curve. Two magic carpets, one of them new, give learners the opportunity to easily lap the zone for practice. For kids, there’s also a new lunchroom at the nearby Red Pine Lodge.
Notice the decor at Summit Lodge:
The resort’s oldest lodge, Summit House atop the Bonanza Express lift, received a modern facelift from celebrity designer Jasmine Roth, who hosts the HGTV show Help! I Wrecked My House. Roth usually rescues homeowners who got in over their heads, fixing renovations gone awry. For this project, she started on solid ground. Originally a boarding house for miners, Summit House was converted into an on-mountain restaurant in 1963, when the ski area first opened as Treasure Mountains. It’s fun to speculate on the process: How many “lost” fries did Roth uncover during the remodel? Errant ketchup packets? Did any ghosts of miners show up, ready to go to work with a pickax? The redesign was revealed during during a season five episode of the show.
New pass perk:
Want to ski with a friend who doesn’t have an Epic Pass? The new Epic Friend Tickets will give your adventure buddy half off the price of a daily lift ticket at Park City Mountain Resort and the other 36 Vail Resorts ski areas in North America. Depending on when you bought your Epic Pass, you’ll receive either 10 or six Epic Friend Tickets for the season. And if your friend decides to spring for a pass next year, the cost of one redeemed ticket can be applied to that Epic Pass purchase.
Sundance Mountain Resort
Biggest changes at a smaller resort:
Founded in 1969 by the late Robert Redford, Sundance Mountain Resort, 45 minutes from Park City, has quietly chugged along in the shadow of Utah’s larger ski areas, attracting families from Provo and skiers in the know with a blend of charm, emphasis on the natural environment, and some of the best views in the state. The resort’s modest profile is about to change. Redford sold the ski area in 2020, and the new owners have sunk more than $40 million into upgrades. “It’s a continuation of Redford’s vision but with an investment level that has been unprecedented in Sundance’s history,” says Vice President of Marketing Nick Como.
Over the past four years, improvements have included the Outlaw Express chairlift at the base area, new Wildwood lift, 10 additional runs, expanded snowmaking, parking improvements, a trio of outdoor soaking pools for overnight guests and a new day lodge. This winter, some 60 additional acres with intermediate and expert terrain come on line, accessed from the top of the resort. One new groomed run starts steep and narrow from the top of Bearclaw Summit, then opens up as it descends along a ridgeline some 1,800 vertical feet to the base of the Wildwood chair. Other runs include chutes and tree shots.
For the 2026–27 season, a new high-speed quad, Electric Horseman Express (named for Redford’s hit film of 1979), will access another 100-plus acres of terrain in an area adjacent to Bishop’s Bowl. For a ski area with just 540 acres, 165 more acres from the expansion is significant, upping Sundance’s terrain by 32%.
Most anticipated new lodging:
Until now, Sundance guests could only stay in cottages around the ski area base. That will change in January, when the 63-room Inn at Sundance opens, the resort’s first hotel. The building spans North Fork Creek via a covered bridge that connects two wings of guest rooms. Book a room here, and you’ll literally be a snowball’s throw away from the Outlaw Express lift (Como made that test throw).
The interiors will blend western decor — think ample wood — with a seventies retro vibe that’s a nod to the resort’s earliest days. And keep an eye out for a large painting of bighorn sheep commissioned for the inn, inspired by Redford’s conservation ethos. He bought the ski area and surrounding land from the Stewart family, Scottish immigrants who had homesteaded the land and grazed domestic sheep. Once Redford worked to reclaim the lands around the resort, wild animals began to return, including bighorn sheep.
Most appreciated base area convenience:
Opened last January, Mountain Camp Day Lodge includes everything you want for a day on the slopes within walking distance of your car. Previously, skiers had to ride a shuttle bus or take a lift and ski down to access base-area services. In addition to ticket sales, gear rentals, ski school, lockers and more, hit up the cafe, which offers a $10 daily lunch special and $5 PBRs for après ski.
