Brian Head, Utah — The future of Brian Head is coming to life.
Last week marked a major milestone in building Stefanie’s chairlift at the Aspen Meadows Club. Helicopter crews flew in the lift towers for Stefanie’s chairlift, which is one of the many chairlifts planned for the future of Brian Head Resort.
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. What makes this future terrain area unique is that it will give direct access to terrain for both alpine and Nordic skiers. Few ski resorts in North America offer access to both alpine and Nordic terrain from a single base area. Ultimately, it’s a critical first step in building out the Aspen Meadows community.
The plan is to have the chairlift ready to operate this winter, but it will only operate on a limited basis for prospective/current residents of Aspen Meadows. It’s expected to open to the public as part of Brian Head Resort during the 2027-28 season, with another new chairlift debuting alongside it.
About The Aspen Meadows Expansion
Currently, Brian Head Resort exists on 650 skiable acres. The Aspen Meadows Club expansion to Brian Head could add more than 850 skiable acres, making Brian Head the seventh-largest ski resort in Utah. Future runs will be similar to Brian Head, but about 1/3 longer. Aspen Meadows also gets more snow than Brian Head, benefiting from Southwest storms.
This expansion will add a third base area at Brian Head. This new base area will be home to the Founder’s Lodge and 1,200 parking spaces. Currently, Brian Head only has around 1,000 parking spaces.
While some lifts in Brian Head’s expansion are approved, others need a thumbs-up from the U.S. Forest Service. This summer, the U.S. Forest Service issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement. You can give your thoughts on the proposals here.
Outside of Aspen Meadows, Brian Head Resort is seeing more than $2 million in upgrades for the 2026-27 season. This includes a new snowmaking pipeline, lift improvements, and the move to RFID ticketing.
Image/Video Credits: Life of Brian Head, Utah, Brian Head Resort
