Powder Mountain is paving the way for the future of ski resorts. Their private side offers a similar model to resorts like the Yellowstone Club or Wasatch Peaks, but they are one of the first mountains to offer both private and public and they’re continuing to prioritize expansions and upgrades for the public.
Powder sits in the Wasatch range of Utah; the closest town being Eden, though the resort is just an hour drive from Salt Lake City. They have four private lifts that are only accessible for homeowners on the mountain while the rest of the terrain remains open for public access.
In the next coming seasons, Powder Mountain is planning multiple expansions for the public side of the resort, an investment into the public experience totaling around $40 million. They’re looking forward to the installment of 3 new lifts, one replaced and two brand new.
For the ’26-’27 season, the mountain is set to replace Sundown lift with a new Leitner Poma of America (LPOA) high-speed quad, increasing uphill capacity and reliability to one of the resort’s major base areas. Additionally they’ll be installing a brand new beginner short fixed-grip quad, Doodle, using repurposed infrastructure from the original Sundown Lift to offer ski school access on mellow terrain.
The most exciting piece of news is certainly the installment of a new Skytrac fixed-grip triple chairlift that will provide access to the mountain’s DMI zone (short for Don’t Mention It). That chairlift will increase skiable terrain by 1000 acres, 900 of which will be lift served, with 2,200 feet of vertical drop. This addition will significantly increase the amount of technical terrain available at Powder as well as making the already quiet mountain even more spread out.
Along with replacing the Sundown lift, the ski resort is set to reimagine the Sundown base area. Powder plans to break ground this summer on a new 15k square foot lodge, including a ski school, rentals, food and beverage, ski lockers, and skier safety services.
These expansions will create a better experience for all riders at Powder. With their goal of creating an independent resort in abundance of community and culture, this project is an investment in their on-mountain experience. They are setting themselves up for a prosperous future, rich with positive experiences for every level of skier.
Powder Mountain is also doubling down on their commitment to public access. With discounted youth passes starting at $249 and reinstated Military Passes, Powder continues to tighten the connection between the public and private mountain communities.