Season Opening Details
Deer Valley Resort announced that its 2025/26 winter season will officially begin on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, following a period of significant terrain expansion and mountain preparation. The opening follows a productive early-week storm cycle and sustained cold temperatures that allowed mountain operations and grooming teams to make progress across priority terrain.
Opening Weekend Logistics
The resort will host a special appreciation ski day exclusively for Deer Valley season pass holders on Friday, Dec. 5, starting at 9 a.m. The general public will be welcomed to the mountain on Monday, Dec. 1, according to a Dec. 3, 2025, press release from the resort. For the opening weekend, all resort access will be provided through the Snow Park Lodge.
Deer Valley President and COO Todd Bennett stated that the upcoming season carries special meaning as the resort celebrates its 45th winter season. Bennett noted that the resort's teams have worked around the clock to prepare the mountain to ensure the high-quality experience guests expect. Due to ongoing snowmaking and terrain preparation, the new Deer Valley East Village is scheduled to open later in December as conditions allow.
Massive Terrain Expansion
The 2025/26 season marks a historic milestone for the Park City-based resort as it continues its multi-year Expanded Excellence initiative. This transformation, which was announced in August 2023, aims to extend the resort's skiable area to a total of 5,726 acres. The project includes a new resort gateway and village, a reimagined Snow Park Base Area, and revitalized mountain facilities.
Since December 2024, Deer Valley has added 10 new lifts to its mountain, effectively doubling its skiable terrain. This expansion includes the debut of seven new chairlifts this season, bringing the resort's total to 31 chairlifts and 4,300 skiable acres. Among these new additions is the East Village Express, Utah's first 10-passenger gondola, which features individual heated seats and floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The gondola connects the new Deer Valley East Village to Park Peak and has an uphill capacity of 3,000 guests per hour.
Infrastructure and Access
The expansion includes several key connectors designed to enhance flow across the mountain. The Pinyon Express, for example, links existing terrain on Flagstaff Mountain with new beginner-friendly, high-alpine trails near Park Peak. Other key lifts scheduled for opening include the Carpenter Express, Sterling Express, and Homestake Express.
Beyond lifts, the Expanded Excellence initiative focuses on infrastructure and guest services. The new Deer Valley East Village features a state-of-the-art facility housing ski school, rentals, retail, and dining. Additionally, the new gateway offers an alternate arrival option via U.S. Route 40, providing 1,200 new day-skier parking spaces intended to ease traffic flow within Park City.
Legacy of Luxury
The resort's operational scale continues to grow, with the mountain operations team managing 15 departments and 700 staff members. Steve Graff, Vice President of Mountain Operations, has noted the challenges of managing these resources amid variable snow conditions. The resort's leadership has emphasized the importance of maintaining the founders' vision of exceptional service and attention to detail while integrating new areas into the mountain's identity.
Deer Valley has established itself as a leader in luxury skiing, having been named the United States' Best Ski Resort by the World Ski Awards for 13 consecutive years. The resort maintains a policy of limiting daily lift ticket sales to preserve its high standards of service. In 2026, the resort further expanded its brand partnerships by naming GMC as its official vehicle, introducing a new fleet for resort transportation and guest experiences.
Guest Information
As the resort prepares for the influx of guests, officials are encouraging visitors to monitor the Daily Mountain Report for real-time operating information, including lift and terrain status. The resort continues to focus on its identity as a ski-only destination that integrates high-end hospitality concepts typically reserved for five-star hotels.
