Vail, Colorado — New lifts could be coming soon to Vail Mountain.
John LeConte of Vail Daily reports that Vail Ski Resort has recieved approval from the White River National Forest for a variety of projects. Two new chairlifts are planned, along with other notable projects.
China Bowl
The most noteworthy project is the replacement of Chair 21 (Orient Express). Situated in THE LEGENDARY BACK BOWLS, this 1988 detachable high-speed quad chairlift has a carrying capacity of 2,400 people per hour. It’s planned to be replaced with a detachable high-speed six-pack chairlift with a carrying capacity of 3,600 guests per hour. This increase of 1,200 people is intended to reduce congestion in the Back Bowls and for those returning from Blue Sky Basin.
As part of this project, six acres on the Two Elk Ridgeline will be regraded to improve skier flow. This regrading will result in the removal of the Wapiti surface lift.
Eagle’s Nest
Another focus of these improvements regards Eagle’s Nest beginner area. Currently, this zone doesn’t have sufficient capacity for the demand in the area. In this zone, the planned chairlift replacement involves replacing the Little Eagle (Chair 15) triple chair with a detachable high-speed quad chairlift. The new chairlift will have a capacity of 2,400 persons per hour, an increase of 1,040 people per hour. This chairlift was only installed back in 2007, so I’m interested to see what Vail plans to do with it.
As part of these upgrades, some of the surface lifts there would be removed. The winter tubing park would be relocated to expand the learning area. A mountain hut that’s used for snow tubing would be converted into a new restaurant with an expanded deck. Snowmaking upgrades are also planned in the area.
Other projects approved include a new mountain bypass road that will enable employee vehicles to access the mountain more easily, as well as drainage improvements. Additionally, some summer attractions that haven’t operated recently are being removed, including ziplines and canopy tours.
While these projects could be implemented as soon as the 2026 offseason, a formal timeline for the upgrades has yet to be established.
Image/Video Credits: Vail Ski Resort
