Waterville Valley, New Hampshire — After decades of planning, Waterville Valley’s proposal to add a gondola from its base village to the ski resort is inching closer towards reality.
Today, the US Forest Service announced that they are seeking comments for the most noteworthy proposed project that’s part of Waterville Valley’s 2019 master plan. The proposal calls for a two-stage gondola/chondola that will connect the base village to Green Peak, a terrain expansion, and new facilities.
The gondola would start next to the Waterville Ice Arena in the base village. The lift would feature 10-person gondola cabins or a mix of gondola and chairs (a chondola), and have a ride time of 10-15 minutes. There would also be a mid-station, which would be at the base of a new terrain pod. If the chondola option is chosen, the first stage would be exclusively gondola cabins, while the second stage would feature a mix.
With the gondola would also come a terrain expansion. Off the existing Green Peak terrain, a mix of beginner and intermediate trails will lead to the new base area. In between these new runs would be around 200 acres of glades, something that Waterville currently doesn’t have a lot of. The SUP (Special Use Permit) boundary expansion would allow the ski resort to potentially add more trails in the future.
As part of the development, two new on-mountain facilities would be added. The first would be situated at the mid-station. The 20,000 square foot facility would be two floors. The first would be home to a space for gondola cabins/chairs and a room for ski patrollers. The second floor would have a dining outlet, seating, and restrooms. The mid-station would also be home to roughly 80 parking spaces, which would be available for guests.
Next to the top station would be the Green Peak Restaurant. The two-floor, 30,000 square feet facility would feature a restaurant with approximately 250 seats, restrooms, and a space for ski patrollers. This facility would help the Waterville Valley ski resort be a four-season destination. Currently, Waterville has its summer operations to Snow’s Mountain, so adding this area would help keep the ski resort busy during the summer and fall.
As explained by the chart below, the decision and implementation of these projects are still far off. The US Forest Service currently lists that a decision could come in May 2028, but these dates can change.
You can learn more about the proposal here. Those who are interested in commenting on the proposal have several ways to do so. One option is to email your comments to SM.WhiteMountain.Comments@usda.gov. For written comments, those can be mailed to Derelk Ibarguen, Forest Supervisor, c/o Justin Preisendorfer, Winter Sports Team Leader, 71 White Mountain Drive, Campton, NH 03223.
Image Credits: Waterville Valley Resort, US Forest Service
