Brian Head, UT – Southern Utah’s Brian Head Ski Resort has a massive expansion plan set for the next few years and the general public will have their chance to voice their opinions on the project at the end of the month.
Brian Head Resort’s goal is to add 1,651 acres of Dixie National Forest Land to its permit with the Forest Service. The additional would almost triple the size of the resort which currently sit on 896 acres (887 of which are national forest lands). The expansion would include 382 acres of new ski trails serviced by 14 new lifts and 19 miles of new snowmaking lines (186 acres of new snowmaking).
The Forest Service started their formal environmental review process on Tuesday which kicked off a 45-day public commenting period which will be followed by a multi-year analysis that the agency expects to complete by June 2028.
Forest Service Open House:
Tuesday, July 29, 2025, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m @ Brian Head Lodge, 314 W Hunter Ridge Dr, Brian Head, Utah
Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m @ Parowan City Office, 35 E 100 N, Parowan, Utah
Thursday, July 31, 2025, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m @ Southern Utah University, Brian Head Room (Sharwan Smith Center), Cedar City, Utah
To learn more about the project visit the Forest Service project webpage.
The proposed action on, and connected to, the Dixie National Forest includes:
- the expansion of Brian Head Resort’s existing special use permit boundary by 1,651 acres
- construction of up to 382 acres of new ski trails
- installation of 14 new lifts
- construction of four new on-mountain restaurants
- construction of eight new ski patrol spaces (four additional new patrol spaces co-located with other new infrastructure)
- construction of 19 miles of new snowmaking lines (186 acres of new snowmaking);
- construction of up to 10 miles of new roads and up to five miles of improvements to existing roadbeds
- installation of up to 13 miles of new utilities
- re-routing of an existing snowmobile route
- removal of hazard trees and post-fire treatment of approximately 520 acres impacted by the 2017 Brian Head Fire.
Proposed Lift Infrastructure, Ski Terrain, Snowmaking, Guest Service Facilities, and Ski Patrol
The proposed action on and connected to NFS lands includes:
Brian Head’s Daily On-Mountain Capacity
- Increase Brian Head’s resort capacity with proposed infrastructure.
Lift Infrastructure
- The installation of a total of 14 new lifts on NFS lands and directly connected private land. This includes:
- 7 new aerial lifts on NFS lands
- 3 new surface lifts on NFS lands
- 4 new aerial lifts spanning private and NFS lands (considered connected actions)—specifically, Sid’s Peak lift, Summit lift, Roulette 2, and Dragon’s Back.
Click the buttons below to see the proposed lifts. 7 new aerial lifts on NFS lands3 new surface lifts on NFS lands4 new aerial lifts connected to NFS lands
Ski Terrain
- The construction of up to 382 acres of new ski trails, all of which would be clear-cut and graded smooth, including cutting of trees and stumps at ground level (and stump removal as necessary) and blasting as necessary.
- Due to the size and complexity of the proposed project, project elements, including ski terrain, have been geographically split into ‘pods’ which include:
- Giant Steps to Brian Head Peak Pod
- Sid’s Peak to East Ridge Pod
- Navajo Ridge to Dry Lakes Pod
- Aspen Meadows to Highway 143 Pod
Ski Terrain by Pod
Snowmaking
- Brian Head also proposes an additional 186 acres of snowmaking coverage on NFS lands to provide consistent winter season opening dates and supplement seasons with below-average snowfall. The proposed snowmaking coverage would include up to 19 miles of new snowmaking lines on NFS lands.
Guest Services and Ski Patrol
- Four new on-mountain dining facilities on NFS lands
- Alpen Glow Restaurant and ski patrol facility (year-round operation) with a proposed parking area of approximately 40 spaces
- Roulette Restaurant and ski patrol facility
- Navajo Ridge Restaurant and ski patrol
- Sid’s Peak Restaurant and ski patrol
Proposed Restaurants
- Construct a total of eight new stand-alone ski patrol spaces on NFS lands:
- Top of Dragon’s Back lift
- Top of Summit lift
- Mid-station of Summit lift
- Top of Ridge lift
- Top of Ridge Lift 2
- Top of Sid’s Peak lift
- Top of Brown Canyon lift
- Top of Sugarloaf lift
- Top of Northern Forest lift
