Park City Mountain has unveiled a series of significant infrastructure upgrades and facility enhancements for the upcoming 2025-26 winter season, headlined by the debut of the Sunrise Gondola at Canyons Village. The multi-year investment project aims to increase uphill capacity and improve mountain access during winter storms across the 7,300-acre resort.
New Infrastructure and Snowmaking
The centerpiece of this season's improvements is the new Sunrise Gondola located at Canyons Village. According to a winter tip sheet released by Vail Resorts, this state-of-the-art, 10-person gondola is designed to nearly double the uphill capacity from the Canyons Village base area. The project was engineered specifically for reliability, with a design intended to be less susceptible to wind holds, which should provide more consistent access to the slopes during Utah's frequent winter storms.
In addition to the new gondola, the resort is focusing on expanding its snowmaking infrastructure. During the summer, the Park City Mountain team replaced approximately 1,400 feet of older snowmaking pipe and installed an additional 700 feet of new piping. This follows significant investments made last season on the Chicane and Another World areas, as part of a broader effort to ensure high-quality snow surfaces in strategic locations throughout the mountain.
Beginner Zone Enhancements
The resort is also implementing several enhancements to its beginner-friendly zones. The Red Pine Learning Area has been reimagined with a more dynamic and inviting terrain designed to build confidence in new skiers and riders. This expansion includes the addition of a new magic carpet at the Red Pine Learning Zone to assist beginners in learning at their own pace.
To support families, Park City Mountain is introducing a new dedicated dining area for young learners at the Red Pine Lodge. This kid-forward space was created specifically for children in the Ski and Ride School to warm up and socialize between sessions. Additionally, the resort will continue to offer the signature Orange Bubble Bite—a rosemary and honey-glazed orange donut bite—at the Canyons Village Forum daily at 3:00 p.m., a feature that was soft-launched last season.
Dining and Lodge Redesign
Culinary and lodging experiences are also seeing a significant overhaul. The historic Summit House Lodge, one of the resort's original structures, has undergone a redesign led by celebrity home designer Jasmine Roth. The project aimed to blend the charm of the mountain's original lodge with a modern aesthetic that reflects the current energy of the resort.
Beyond Canyons Village, the resort continues to offer diverse dining options across its terrain. While guests can enjoy the redesigned Summit House, other notable locations include Mid-Mountain Lodge, where visitors can find ahi poke bowls, and Miner’s Camp, which offers classic chicken pot pie. The resort also highlights the ability for guests to visit the Sun Lodge for further dining opportunities.
Advanced Terrain Features
For advanced riders, the McConkey’s Express area remains a premier destination for high-intensity terrain. Located on the southernmost part of the mountain, this lift provides views of Jupiter Peak and offers access to various difficulty levels. According to Park Century Mountain documentation from 2022, the lift can be reached from Park City Mountain Village by taking the Crescent Express, skiing down Homerun, and turning right onto Shortline.
The terrain served by McConkey’s Express includes intermediate options like Georgeanna, a winding blue run that passes through large pine groves. More challenging black diamond terrain is available via Sundog, which provides steep turns without the difficulty of a double-black diamond. For expert riders, the area features McConkey’s Bowl—a steep, double-black terrain named after local legend Jim McConkey—and tree runs such as Molly’s and Black Forest.
Extreme Terrain and Recovery
The McConkey’s Express zone also serves as a gateway to extreme hike-to terrain. Riders can access the P-Zone and O-Zone trails along the ridgeline, which are classified as extreme terrain due to their steep and long slopes. For those willing to push further, hiking along the Pinyon Ridgeline provides access to even more challenging terrain on Jupiter Peak, including The Chutes, where riders must navigate exposed rock formations.
After navigating these intense runs, the resort suggests a recovery route via the Mid-Mountain Cutoff Trail. This trail leads directly to the Mid-Mountain Lodge, where skiers can rest their legs by the fire and enjoy a warm beverage on the patio.
Olympic Future
Looking toward the future, Park City Mountain has been confirmed as an official venue for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City-Utah. The resort is slated to host several high-profile snowboarding and freestyle skiing events, including the men's and women's snowboarding halfpipe, slopestyle, and freestyle skiing halfpipe and slopestyle.
The resort remains one of the largest in the United States, featuring more than 7,300 acres of terrain, 42 lifts, 330 trails, and six terrain parks ranging from Little Kings to the Eagle Superpipe.
