Riding the highest chairlift in North America.
Riding the highest chairlift in North America. Credit: Beyond the Lodge

Listing the highest ski resorts in any area can be a bit troublesome. Some ski areas like to rank themselves by their highest “in-bound” terrain, whether that includes sections that are almost never open or hike access only terrain.

Riding the highest chair in North America

A great way to look at the highest ski areas in North America is by taking a look at the highest ski lifts in North America. While you could hike to a higher point on most mountains, the highest lift marks the highest point on a resort easily accessed by skiers and snowboarders. There area plenty of high altitude ski areas around both Canada and the United States, but you probably won’t be too surprised to learn that the four highest lifts in North America are all in Colorado.

1. Imperial SuperChair, Breckenridge

The base of Peak 8 at Breckenridge sits at 9950 feet, already higher than many ski resorts’ high points across the country. The Colorado Chair near the middle of Peak 8 sits at 11,059 feet. The Imperial SuperChair, North America’s highest chairlift, reaches up to a mind numbing 12,840 feet, high enough that tourists should seriously consider the potential altitude sickness consequences before giving it a ride.

2. Lift 9, Loveland Ski Area

Before there was the Imperial SuperChair, North America’s highest chairlift sat just a few mountains away, at Loveland Ski Area. Built between 1998-1999, Lift 9 provides access to The Ridge, stretching up to 12,700 feet. And if that’s not high enough, skiers and snowboarders can keep hiking, reaching an eventual 13,010 feet at the summit of Golden Bear.

3. Revelation Lift, Telluride Ski Resort

Telluride’s highest point, Palmyra Peak, reaches up to 13,150 feet, with several expert only runs accessed from that altitude. But to get there, one must complete a hardcore hike up. The highest point one can access without hiking is in the resort’s Revelation Bowl, where the Revelation lift will take skiers and snowboarders up to 12,515 feet.

Installing the Revelation Bowl Chairlift

4. Lenawee Express, Arapahoe Basin

Arapahoe Basin’s East Wall features some of the most hard core in-bound skiing in Colorado, if not the United States. Hiking to the terrain provides some seriously steep chutes, often filled with top-notch snow, and the potential to reach 13,050 feet. But Arapahoe Basin’s highest lift-accessed point, the top of the new Lenawee Express, has a top terminal elevation of 12,456 feet. While not the highest in North America, it’s still plenty high for you to feel the altitude in your lungs if you’re not prepared.

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