Top Five Legendary Two-Seater Chairlifts in North America

Featured Image: Curtis DeVore, Arapahoe Basin | Skier: Reid Litwiller

It's hard to describe the feeling a two-seater chairlift instills in a skier's heart. Double chairs summon both incomparable nostalgia and endless optimism. And when they're placed up a steep slope, crawling and climbing their way through dreamy, snow-covered terrain? It doesn't get any better than that.

But eventually, even the most iconic chairs need to be hauled off the mountain, replaced by the latest technological innovation that whisks skiers away in the blink of an eye. Sure, moving more people up the hill is helpful. After all, I hate waiting in lift lines as much as the next person. But I'll also be the first to say there are parts of skiing that are better off slow. Riding a chairlift as the snow gently drifts down and Ullr opens the faucet on your local hill - that's an experience best savored on an old chairlift.

So as you plan your upcoming winter 2026/27 missions, I urge you to consider the following chairlifts: FREESKIER's top five legendary two-seater chairlifts (in North America). The seats aren't as comfortable as the new heated options you'll find at the mega resorts, but the vibes are immaculate, and the terrain offered here will rival the best you'll ever find.

5) 7th Heaven

Stevens Pass, Washington

Vertical Rise: 437 feet

Length: 657 feet

7th Heaven climbs like the steepest of escalators, and the descent is always worth it

Photo: Courtesy of Stevens Pass, Vail Resorts

Whoever said size doesn't matter was probably talking about the 7th Heaven lift at Stevens Pass, Washington. While this double only offers a vertical rise of 437 feet, it runs just 657 feet long. That puts it as the steepest chairlift in North America.

With a near-34° pitch, even the bravest of rollercoaster riders will have second thoughts as they climb up Cowboy Mountain. Built in 1960, the amount of stellar pow laps had off this chair is truly unknowable. But the PNW snowpack isn't always kind, so if you make your way up this one while the conditions are less than desirable, be ready for a rowdy descent. Short and spicy, 7th Heaven is a true PNW classic.

4) Red Chair

Red Mountain, British Columbia

Vertical Rise: 1,410 feet

Length: 3,800 feet

Canada's National Treasures: Wayne Gretzky, Joni Mitchell, Sean Pettit, the Red Chair... in that order

Photo: Courtesy of Red Mountain Resort

Red Mountain is about as memorable as a ski area gets. While it's popularity has grown in recent years, many would argue that Red has remained about as uncommercialized as possible, and locals intend to keep it that way. Visiting a resort like this requires a certain amount of respect, both for the people and for the remarkable terrain.

Located outside Rossland, British Columbia, Red is uniquely positioned to service ski bums and rail workers alike. As a small industrial stronghold, Rossland and Red hold a hand-working spirit that you can't fake. And the original crown jewel of that drive and determination? The Red Chair.

It was Western Canada's first chairlift, opening in 1947 with the current double-chair being installed in 1973. Ushering skiers to the top of the fittingly named Red Mountain (a separate peak within the resort), the chairlift delivers access to some of Red's finest glades. Hell, you could just lap the Red Towers lift line run on repeat and have a quality, leg-burning day. If there's a true history book to skiing out there, it's not complete without mentioning the Red Chair.

3) Wildcat

Alta Ski Area, Utah

Vertical Rise: 1,226 feet

Length: 4,268 feet

Wildcat, Kitty, the two-seater to paradise; whatever you call it, put it on your bucket list

Photo: Rocko Menzyk, Alta Ski Area

If you've ever been skiing, ever, there's a decent chance you've heard of Alta. And if you've heard of Alta, you've probably heard of Wildcat. The famous two-seater lift has been a staple of Little Cottonwood Canyon since 1959, with the current version built in 1980. It's not glamorous. Like most lifts on this list, it isn't very comfortable. But it serves some of the most playful terrain imaginable. Oh, and Alta's 550 inches of annual snowfall doesn't hurt.

Wildcat, or Kitty as it's commonly known, runs from Alta's main Wildcat Base area. While powder-hungry Salt Lake crowds will flock to the Collins lift in search of fresh turns, don't be surprised to see an equally zealous group gathering at Kitty. On a normal ride up the lift, odds are high you'll watch as skiers like Tristen Lilly and Ross Tester send massive backflips and tweaked-out 540s off every roller and cliff nestled in the undulating terrain.

You won't find dramatic steeps here, though the final lift line push back to the base has some decent pitch. You'd better head over to High Boy if you're in search of more vert. But what the terrain serviced by Wildcat lacks in pure adrenaline, it more than makes up for in enticing features and perfect glades. It's cliché, but this lift serves as the ultimate playground.

2) Schlasman's

Bridger Bowl, Montana

Vertical Rise: 1,643 feet

Length: 3,211 feet

On the east side of the Bridger Range, Schlasman's accesses some of the world's best inbounds terrain

Photo: Hayden Fonnesbeck

As far as hand-me-downs go, Schlasman's (pronounced Slush-mans in Bozeman vernacular) is about as good as it gets. Originally Snowbird's Peruvian Double Chair, the lift followed the usual college student-ski-bum-pipeline as it headed from Utah to Montana. Since it's instillation almost two decades ago, it's opened up a new world of lift-accessible terrain at Bridger that offers anything a skier could dream of.

From daunting couloirs with intensely long runouts to cliffs with ideal, steep landings, to mini-golf pillow features and big open lines beyond resort boundaries, there isn't much Schlasman's doesn't offer. You could spend your entire life skiing this one lift, and you would still have a handful of lines leftover when you hung up the skis.

Like anything in life, Bridger asks you to work for its best offerings, as some of the best skiing off Schlasman's requires a hike. The area is not like a normal ski resort. You'd be hard-pressed to find a single trail sign, meaning you must travel with someone who knows the terrain when venturing practically anywhere not under the lift. A beacon is required for good reason to ride the lift, and a backpack complete with a shovel and probe is highly recommended.

1) Pallavicini

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Colorado

Vertical Rise: 1,329 feet

Length: 3,512 feet

Pali, it's known as The Center of the Universe for good reason

Photo: Curtis DeVore, Arapahoe Basin

Finally, we've arrived at the crown jewel. Arapahoe Basin boasts some of the best freeride terrain in the country. It doesn't get the snowfall other resorts on this list receive, but it's chalky-snow, consistently cold winters and steep, fall-line skiing create a world unparalleled. It's here where you'll find Pallivicini.

Pallivicini, or Pali, is one of the most fabled two-seater lifts around. Maybe it's the bewilderingly fun, incredibly taxing terrain that it accesses. Maybe it's the vibe it provides, slowly bringing skiers to look over a sea of mountains in the great Summit County area and beyond. Maybe it's the 12,130-foot summit playing tricks on people's minds. Whatever the case, Pali has an undeniable allure, a near mystical magnetism that can't be put into words. Maybe that's why it's known as The Center of the Universe.

Pali receives the top spot for two reasons: convenience and consistency. At just seven minutes long, it's slow enough to allow to contemplate life's many wonders on the ride up, but quick enough to allow you to ski dozens of laps in a single afternoon. That is, as long as your legs can keep up with your mind.

Additionally, it always provides. Consistency is a tough thing to find in skiing, but thanks to Pali's elevation, you'll rarely come across terrible snow here. And if you've never skied truly horrible, icy, frozen, coastal chunder, consider yourself lucky. That's not to say you'll find blower pow. Most days you almost certainly won't. But what you will find is chalk. Beautiful, edgable, lovely chalk. It's the type of snow that paints the perfect canvas, but asks you to write the story. Add to that over 1,300 vertical feet, more ways down than you can count and a tremendous vibe, and you have an unbeatable recipe.