Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah – Snowbird is having one of the busiest offseasons in recent memory. A new chairlift is being installed, the Mid-Gad restaurant is being replaced, and the old Snowbird Red Tram has a new location, among other changes. Here’s a breakdown of what’s coming to Snowbird for the 2024-25 season.
New Wilbere Chairlift: Snowbird’s first new chairlift in eleven years is replacing one of its OG lifts. The biggest project of this offseason at the Bird is the new Wilbere chairlift. A new Doppelmayr fixed-grip quad chairlift will replace the old fixed-grip double chairlift.
Its new base terminal, near the Bryce Astle Training Center, will provide easier access for those around the Creekside parking areas. In addition, it will be Snowbird’s first chairlift with a loading conveyor.
New Location For Snowbird Tram Revealed: Many wondered what would become of the old tram cabins. While we don’t know yet what has become of the blue tram, the red tram has a sweet new location. The red tram will now be situated at the Tram Club’s outdoor patio, where it will be a year-round place for guests to hang out.
Construction On Mid-Restaurant: After it closed on March 31st, work began on replacing the Mid-Gad Lodge. Since 1972, the lodge featured a food court, seating, and restrooms. While the old lodge had a lovely rustic feel, the critical flaw was needing to climb the stairs to reach the dining level.
The new lodge will have floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a cafeteria-style dining area with a beer bar, and a large outdoor patio with heated flooring for fast snow removal.
Snowbird made solid progress on the new lodge, demolishing its predecessor and then beginning the installation of the new structure. They’ll continue to work on the lodge’s construction this winter and during the summer of 2025. The new Mid-Gad Lodge is expected to open during the 2025-26 season.
Snowmaking: While it may come as a shock for such a snowy place, snowmaking is a core part of getting Snowbird open in the early season. Getting Snowbird’s most used terrain open is another priority from this offseason, with them adding 18 snowguns.
Other Improvements: The Snowbird Center has received a refresh with new carpeting and signage. More digital signage across the ski resort has been added, giving guests intel on weather and conditions. The Atrium at the Cliff Lodge, a popular breakfast spot, will now also be an aprés-venue. The Rendezvous restaurant will see an improved patio with heated flooring. There will also be more dining experiences, like after-hours snowcat dinners and whiskey/wine meal pairings. For parking, they’ve doubled the amount of carpool-only parking spaces. UTA is also partnering with a private bus service to help replace the 953 bus route.
“At Snowbird we are committed to continually investing in and improving upon our mountain and guest experience,” said Dave Fields, Snowbird’s President and General Manager. “Our approach remains focused upon upgrading and revitalizing the spaces and infrastructure that have become foundations of this mountain for the last 52 years to help usher in the future of Snowbird. The return of the original Red Tram cabin, the updated Wilbere Chair and the still-in-progress Mid-Gad Restaurant are all a testament to what is possible when we respect what we already have and reimagine what they can be. I can’t wait for our guests to experience these upgrades themselves.”
Snowbird’s projected opening date is November 28th.
Image/Video Credits: Snowbird Resort (Otto Sonberg)
