Brian Head, Utah — For the foreseeable future, Utah is the hub for major ski resort projects in North America.
There’s been Deer Valley’s East Village expansion, which is the largest in North American ski history. Other notable projects include Nordic Valley’s new base village, Park City Mountain’s new lifts, Powder Mountain’s expansions via its public-private hybrid model, and (possibly) the Little Cottonwood Gondola. Perhaps the most interesting out of all these projects is Brian Head’s potential expansion in the decades ahead.
Currently, Brian Head Resort exists on 650 skiable acres. The Aspen Meadows Club expansion to Brian Head will potentially add more than 850 skiable acres, making Brian Head the seventh largest ski resort in Utah. The future runs are similar to Brian Head, but about 1/3 longer. Aspen Meadows also gets more snow than Brian Head, with it benefiting from the Southwest storms.
Trip Report
While on a wedding trip in Utah, I stopped by Brian Head to check out the new Aspen Meadows Club, a planned thirty-year master development.
It started as a sunny Thursday at Brian Head, then slowly clouded up until rain started pelting down. SkyTrac crews were gathered at the top of the future Stefanie’s chairlift for the concrete pouring for the top terminal. Named after the first inhabitant of Brian Head (Stefanie Hartlmaier), the 2,500-foot-long lift will service beginner and intermediate terrain. It will serve as a small guest portal, as it will be home to the Alpine|Nordic Lodge and 200 parking spaces. For Nordic skiers, there will be three trail loops. Ultimately, it’s a critical first step in building out this community.
“The chance to design our first new ski lodge, named the Alpine | Nordic Lodge, at the base of Stefanie’s—our original lift—was unprecedented in North American ski resort development,” said A. Flint Decker, President of Aspen Meadows Club. “From this central location, guests will enjoy direct on-hill access to both our Brian Head alpine skiing experience on one side and our new Nordic skiing experience on the other. We are thrilled to deliver this integrated, family-focused facility for the benefit of our Aspen Meadows Owners and Founders, as well as all Brian Head guests.”
It was the first time I was able to see the process in person, which has workers using various tools to stabilize the concrete. While there, I was able to chat with A. Flint Decker, the President of the Aspen Meadows community, and Mike Saemisch of Life of Brian Head, Utah. They were excited for this development, as this plan will help Brian Head become a modern and more well-balanced destination.
Following the installation, Decker gave me a tour of the terrain. He drove me down to the base of the future Stefanie’s chairlift and showed the vistas of the future terrain pods. The terrain around Stefanie’s was a bit steeper than expected, although it’s still on the mellower side. We then stopped by the future third base area at Brian Head, which will be home to the Founder’s Lodge and 1,200 parking spaces. Currently, Brian Head only has around 1,000 parking spaces. What makes this future terrain area unique is that it will give direct access to terrain for both alpine and Nordic skiers. There aren’t many ski resorts in North America that give access at one base area to both alpine and Nordic skiers.
We then made a few stops through town to see a town going through change. This included the town office, which is undergoing a renovation, Georg’s Ski Shop, and the model home for Aspen Meadows. At this point, Brian Head still feels like a small resort town, with most of the infrastructure dedicated to tourists who visit in the winter. That’s going to change, with Aspen Meadows guiding the town into a new era with improved public infrastructure and more services for the community.
Towers will be flown in on September 25th. The new chairlift will be ready for the 2026-27 season, but will be open on a limited capacity for private tours of current/prospective residents. The new base area and lodge will open to the public as part of Brian Head Resort during the 2027-28 season, which will feature another new chairlift (Christmas Tree) that adds more terrain.
U.S. Forest Service
Meanwhile, work continues on the planning process for Brian Head’s multi-decade expansion. For the full expansion to happen, they’ll need U.S. Forest Service approval.
Last week, the U.S. Forest Service released a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). The proposal presented four alternatives: no expansion, full expansion, and two scenarios where some of the expansion takes place. A decision is estimated for July 2027.
Even if it’s only partially implemented, the creation of the Aspen Meadows Club will be enough to put Brian Head on more skiers’ and riders’ radars.
Image/Video Credits: Aspen Meadows Club, Brian Head Resort
