Tonight Deer Valley Resort and Park City Municipal announced a public-private partnership to redevelop the Snow Park Base Area with a new gondola providing a key transportation link. Under the proposal, Deer Valley would reduce skier parking at Snow Park Village by 15 to 20 percent and devote $15 million to regional transportation and housing. A ten passenger gondola system would connect 1,200 new parking spaces on the Jordanelle side of the mountain to Snow Park, which will transform into a pedestrian-focused base village with lodging and dining. “We’ll have lift and gondola infrastructure that will connect from the new portal all the way to Snow Park, which we think is a really unique opportunity for transportation in the area,” Deer Valley President Todd Bennett told the City Council.
The newly-unveiled gondola would carry skiers and foot passengers year round between Snow Park Village and Silver Lake Village, likely replacing the Silver Lake Express. From Silver Lake, gondola cabins would continue to Park Peak, the 9,400 foot summit of Deer Valley’s upcoming Expanded Excellence expansion. The gondola would terminate just steps from another planned gondola rising from a new base portal along U.S. Route 40. Together a total of four gondola segments would link five points around Deer Valley and reduce the need for skiers to drive through Park City to park. Deer Valley notes that “several new chairlifts and the 10-passenger gondola will seamlessly connect our expanded terrain with the existing resort, ensuring a more balanced traffic flow and reducing congestion.”
The four gondola sections would span 5.4 miles and form one of the largest gondola systems in North America. A ride along the entire line from U.S. 40 to Snow Park would last approximately 25 minutes. The lift would be built and funded by Deer Valley on top of the $15 million Deer Valley is committing to fund other transportation and housing initiatives.
Park City’s City Council plans to hold a public hearing on the proposal next week with a potential vote to move forward before the end of the year. Deer Valley expects to open the first new ski terrain for the 2025/26 season, though Snow Park redevelopment will take the majority of this decade. The entire project is expected to be completed in advance of the potential 2034 Salt Lake Olympics.
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As someone that skis Deer Valley a lot, this seems…….. excessive, bordering on dumb. If it’s meant mostly as a connector to reduce parking and traffic in Park City, then it’s probably going to run longer than normal hours at the end of the day. That route it’s taking is going to leave it very susceptible to weather, potentially forcing them to shuttle people through Deer Crest on vans. (I’ve had this happen to me in early season skiing when you can’t ski to the Jordanelle parking lot and the gondola does down for maintenance later in the day)
In my mind the logical route is running from the new base area straight to Silver Lake, then from Silver Lake to Snow Park, keeping it just 2 sections.
I also like how they show Carpenter replaced with a fixed grip lift in their rendering….
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A few people will use the gondolas for transportation between base areas once or twice a day. But the overwhelming majority will take them to reach the summit, so that they can ski down. That’s kinda the whole point of skiing: ride to the top, ski down. And they’ll do that all day long.
Deer Valley is still a ski resort, they are not a public transit agency. So obviously the design gives priority to reaching the summit, and less priority for base-to-base. It’s designed for skiers (who mostly want to get to the summit).
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This is a good plan. Next step is gondola from PC downtown to Snowpark. Need to get out of cars.
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My understanding the PC Council is already reviewing that part. The PC transportation center to Snowpark will happen. Alterra is succeeding where VR is failing with addressing parking and traffic through downtown. 15 million is a great start for them.
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It seems as though Mayflower will still only build one gondola, as the prior planned one is simply being incorporated into this lift. That lift was planned to go from the base to Big Dutch Peak to Park Peak, whereas this plan has the gondola continue from Park Peak to Silver Lake and then Snow Park. I am guessing the plan will still be to build different sections in varying years given the scale, with the 2034 Olympics a good date to have in mind for the completion of Expanded Excellence.
This is an extremely smart move to take traffic out of Park City. Mayflower and Jordanelle are adjacent to a highway, so having as many cars park there as possible makes sense. Plus, having a gondola connect various villages around the mountain is quite European and will be a joy to use. From what I understand, the success and popularity of this system will be a test for whether or not to build a future extension from Snow Park to Old Town.
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Not so sure about this. Per the article, it looks like it will be two separate gondola systems that terminate “steps apart” at the top of Park Peak.
Further, Skier’s comments above are well-taken. This route not only opens the door to weather snafus, it’s significantly longer than it needs to be if the goal is to transport people efficiently from Snow Park over to Jordanelle/Mayflower side.
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If I was staying in Snow Park but told to park in the lots on Jordanelle side, the last thing I’d want to do is ride a gondola 25 minutes (with kids and luggage) to get to my lodging. I’m guessing parking in Snow Park will only be allowed for guests staying in village and day skiers will be sent to the newer lot.
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There will be paid parking garages at Snow Park like what you see at Vail, Beaver Creek and Snowmass.
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Suspect that’s how they’ll help incentivize day traffic moving largely to Jordanelle. Heck, with highway travel literally to the base and avoidance of the traffic/delay of going through town, it’s probably quicker access for anyone not living/staying in Park City and its immediate environs. Now add a price difference between Snow Park and Jordanelle side and that’s going to help change habits/patterns.
Still don’t like the configuration of the line up to Park Peak though.
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Is Park Peak where Bowhunter is?
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Yes
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