Deer Valley Resort has unveiled its updated trail map for the 2026-27 ski season, giving skiers their first detailed look at the latest additions to one of the most ambitious mountain expansions in North American ski history.
The new trail map, announced November 5, includes the Hail Peak Express chairlift and seven additional ski runs that will open another 200 acres of terrain this winter. With the latest additions, Deer Valley will offer an impressive 4,500 skiable acres, 209 runs and 32 aerial lifts across 10 mountain peaks.
The expansion represents another milestone in Deer Valley’s multiyear Expanded Excellence initiative, which has more than doubled the size of the Park City ski resort since December 2024. What was once a relatively compact destination centered around the original Deer Valley mountains has grown into an enormous interconnected ski area with new terrain, additional mountain peaks and an entirely new base area.
The updated trail map provides a closer look at how these new areas connect with the existing mountain, helping guests familiarize themselves with the rapidly expanding resort before the lifts start spinning this winter.
New Hail Peak Express Adds 200 Acres and Seven Ski Runs
The most significant addition for the upcoming season is Hail Peak, located along the easternmost edge of Deer Valley’s expanded terrain.
A new high-speed quad chairlift, Hail Peak Express, will transport skiers from Deer Valley East Village into the newly developed mountain area. The lift will provide access to seven runs featuring terrain for beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers, bringing another section of the expansion into the resort’s interconnected trail network.
The chairlift itself is an impressive piece of infrastructure. Hail Peak Express features 86 chairs, an inclined length of 3,975 feet and a vertical rise of 1,130 feet. The lift is designed to transport up to 2,400 skiers per hour, providing substantial uphill capacity for the new terrain.
Construction reached a major milestone in September when crews used a heavy-lift helicopter to install the chairlift’s towers. The operation highlighted the scale and complexity of building new lift infrastructure on previously undeveloped mountain terrain.
One of the new runs will be called Hill Yeah, a tribute to Hill Air Force Base in northern Utah. The name also recognizes Deer Valley’s Salute to Service initiative, which provides special lodging, lift ticket and resort offerings for military service members and their families.
Hail Peak Express is expected to open in December, weather and construction conditions permitting. The new terrain will be included with existing Deer Valley lift tickets and eligible season passes, with no separate ticket required to explore Hail Peak.
Deer Valley Has More Than Doubled in Size
The addition of Hail Peak is the latest step in a transformation that has dramatically changed the resort over just a few seasons.
Since December 2024, Deer Valley has added 11 new lifts to its mountain network, including the 10-passenger East Village Express gondola. The expansion has introduced new terrain across several mountain peaks, connecting previously undeveloped areas to the original ski resort.
During the 2025-26 winter season, Deer Valley opened approximately 2,000 acres of additional skiing, along with numerous new chairlifts and nearly 80 ski runs. This winter’s Hail Peak addition will bring the total skiable acreage to 4,500, more than twice the resort’s size before the expansion began.
According to Deer Valley’s Expanded Excellence project overview, the 2026-27 mountain will feature 3,120 feet of vertical drop, seven bowls and a trail network stretching across 10 peaks.
The expansion also includes Green Monster, a 4.8-mile run that descends from Park Peak toward Deer Valley East Village. The new trail provides an opportunity to experience the scale of the new terrain while skiing from the upper mountain toward the eastern base area.
A New Base Area and Major Snowmaking Improvements
The terrain expansion is accompanied by substantial investments in mountain infrastructure and guest services.
Deer Valley East Village, located near U.S. Route 40, provides an additional entrance to the mountain and includes approximately 1,200 day-skier parking spaces. A complimentary shuttle connects the parking areas with skier services and the new lift network.
The East Village area also features equipment rentals, ticketing, ski storage and dining facilities, creating another access point for visitors who want to explore the expanded terrain without traveling through the traditional Snow Park base area.
Supporting all that new skiing requires an extensive snowmaking network, particularly across the lower-elevation portions of the expansion.
Deer Valley has invested heavily in new snowmaking equipment, pipelines, pumping infrastructure and a 10-million-gallon reservoir near Park Peak. The system is designed to help crews establish early-season coverage across the expanded mountain and maintain more consistent conditions throughout the winter.
The improvements have brought Deer Valley’s total snowmaking coverage to approximately 932 acres, an important investment as the resort works to make its newly developed terrain available during varying early-season weather conditions.
The mountain began snowmaking operations for the upcoming season in early November, with crews taking advantage of colder temperatures to start preparing the slopes.
Deer Valley Continues to Focus on the Skiing Experience
Despite the enormous expansion, Deer Valley is maintaining many of the policies and services that have helped establish its reputation. The resort remains ski-only, with snowboarding prohibited across both the original mountain and the newly developed terrain. Deer Valley also continues to limit daily lift ticket sales, a longstanding practice intended to manage skier numbers and preserve the guest experience.
The Expanded Excellence initiative is designed to combine the additional terrain and lift capacity with the resort’s established emphasis on grooming, guest service, dining and ski instruction.
And the transformation is not finished. Future phases of Expanded Excellence include additional development on South Peak, improvements to existing mountain facilities and the continued evolution of Deer Valley East Village and the Snow Park base area.
For the upcoming winter the focus is on bringing Hail Peak into the resort’s growing network and giving skiers another 200 acres to explore. Deer Valley is currently scheduled to open to the public on December 5, conditions permitting, with additional lifts and terrain becoming available as the season progresses.
Skiers planning a visit can explore the resort’s updated trail maps to get familiar with the new terrain and connections before opening day.
