Getting around a massive ski resort can be challenging when the resort hasn’t invested in the proper number of chairlifts to service the terrain. The following resorts definitely don’t run into this problem.
Here are the 10 ski resorts with the most lifts across North America. Chairlifts, gondolas, surface lifts, and aerial tramways are included in the total count.
*All information pulled directly from each ski resort’s website.*
10. Winter Park Resort, CO: 23 lifts
Winter Park’s lift catalog might be dwarfed by some of the resorts further down on this list, but it’s nothing to scoff at. The resort boasts three high-speed six-packs, a 10-person gondola, six high-speed quads, three triples, six doubles, three surface lifts, and one rope tow.
That’s certainly enough to move skiers and riders around the mountain, if you ask me.
8. (Tie) The Summit at Snoqualmie, WA: 25 lifts
Snoqualmie doesn’t have a huge inventory of high-speed lifts like the other resorts on this list, but the sheer number of uphill movers is impressive. The resort, which includes Alpental, has 3 high-speed quads, 4 fixed-grip quads, 3 triples, 9 doubles, and 6 surface lifts.
Snoqualmie is the place to go if you don’t mind not having a plethora of high-speed lifts at your disposal, and as I’ve stated before, there’s something incredibly endearing about a fixed-grip lift.
8. (Tie) Mammoth Mountain, CA: 25 lifts
Was anybody else surprised to see that Mammoth ‘only‘ has 25 lifts? I’m not sure why, but I expected them to have at least 40 with the size of that mountain, but then I actually looked at the breakdown of their inventory. It makes sense now.
Rather than filling the mountain with two and three person chairs, Mammoth is stocked with high-speed, high-capacity lifts for efficiency.
Mammoth has nine high-speed quads, two high-speed six-packs, two gondolas, one fixed-grip quad, six fixed-grip triples, and three fixed-grip doubles.
7. Heavenly Ski Resort, CA & NV: 29 lifts
Heavenly is one of a few ski resorts in North America that straddles across state lines. It’s also one of the biggest ski resorts on the continent with 4,800 skiable acres.
The resort boasts an impressive lineup including: one gondola, one aerial tram, two high-speed six packs, seven high-speed quads, one fixed-grip quad, five triples, three doubles, four surface lifts, and five magic carpets.
6. Vail, CO: 31 lifts
Vail is well, Vail. There’s a reason why every single skier and snowboarder has heard of the resort and the mega-company it has become. That notoriety started on the massive ski resort that is Vail, and there’s plenty of lifts to go around.
Vail boasts two gondolas, three high-speed six-packs,
5. Whistler-Blackcomb, BC: 32 lifts
4. Breckenridge, CO: 34 lifts
3. Big Sky Resort, MT: 38 liftsÂ
2. Park City Mountain Resort, UT (Including Canyons Village): 41 lifts
1. Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows, CA: 42 lifts
^Courtesy: TWITTER/Squaw Valley