Deer Valley Makes Progress with Largest Ski Resort Expansion in History

All Images: Courtesy of Deer Valley Resort

Utah’s Deer Valley Resort recently made big strides in its current expansion plan, with lift towers being flown in and placed for two of the upcoming 11 new lifts. Towers for the East Village Express Gondola and Pinyon Express 6-Seat bubble Chairlift were flown in by Chinook helicopters in front of an ecstatic crowd of spectators.

This is all part of the resort’s Expanded Excellence initiative, a collection of projects that will more than double Deer Valley’s skiable terrain, adding 100 new ski runs, 10 new chairlifts and the new East Village Express 10-person gondola. This monumental undertaking is expected to be ready by winter 2025/26, according to the Expanded Excellence webpage.

Houston, we have liftoff

Resort staff and hikers gather to watch lift tower placement on July 23

“With the first towers now in place for the lifts that will connect Deer Valley East Village to Park Peak, we’re proud to have reached this milestone. It marks the start of skiing from Park Peak and represents a key step in more than doubling Deer Valley’s terrain for the upcoming ski season,” said Deer Valley Resort President & COO Todd Bennett. “We look forward to welcoming both longtime guests and first-time visitors to explore nearly 100 new ski runs this winter.”

By all accounts, this is the largest expansion by any ski resort in history. When running the numbers, that makes a lot of sense. Deer Valley’s current skiable terrain sits around 2,100 acres. After the expansion is complete, an additional 3,700 acres will be made available for skiers. (We’d say riders, but Deer Valley does not allow snowboarders).

The East Village Gondola will include 40 towers, 142 cabins, and a vertical rise of 2,570 feet. The engineering marvel will operate at speeds of 1,400 feet per minute, which is around 40% faster than a traditional express chairlift. It’s only the second gondola in the United States to do so.

The Pinyon Express chairlift is an important part of the expansion plan, as it will link Deer Valley’s existing terrain on Flagstaff Mountain with new beginner-friendly, high-alpine trails near Park Peak. The lift includes 11 towers and 6,300 feet of haul rope.

There is still much work ahead for the engineering crews working at Deer Valley, and FREESKIER will keep you updated on all major milestones.