Deer Valley Resort’s owner, Alterra Mountain Company, on Thursday announced a capital investment program of over $300 million focused on on-mountain improvements across its North American ski resorts.

Alterra said it will invest in new and refurbished lifts, additional snowmaking enhancement programs, summer activities and resort infrastructure.

In the past year, Alterra completed Steamboat’s three-year Full Steam Ahead project with the opening of 655 new acres of expert terrain in Mahogany Ridge and Fish Creek Canyon, plus the Wild Blue Gondola, now the longest gondola in North America and the fastest 10-person gondola in the country, according to Alterra. In the coming years, Deer Valley, which Alterra calls its marquee ski destination, will see a major expansion and new base area, Deer Valley East.

“At Alterra Mountain Company, we continue to believe our guests deserve a premium experience at every one of our beloved destinations and we are continuing to concentrate on investments that make that a reality,” said Jared Smith, president and CEO of Alterra Mountain Company. “During this significant capital investment cycle, we have been focused on making improvements that all of our guests will see, while reimagining and doubling down on some of our most iconic properties like Steamboat and Deer Valley.”

Deer Valley East Village & Terrain Expansion

Deer Valley’s extraordinary terrain expansion will offer a preview this winter when the first chairlifts begin to spin from the new Deer Valley East Village. This season, Deer Valley will debut three new chairlifts, over 300 new skiable acres, several new ski runs and 500 additional day-skier parking spots. This will offer skiers an alternative arrival option to Deer Valley via U.S. Route 40, which Alterra said will help to reduce traffic throughout Park City.

Keetley Express, one of the three new chairlifts expected to open in December, conditions permitting, and Deer Valley’s first six-person chairlift with a bubble, will include direct access from the new Deer Valley East Village into the existing Deer Valley, dropping skiers off near the bottom terminal of the Sultan Express chairlift on Bald Mountain. The extra two chairlifts, Hoodoo Express and Aurora, will service new beginner-level ski trails and return access into the new Deer Valley East Village.

For the 2024-25 season, the Deer Valley East Village will have limited day-skier amenities, including a rental shop, complimentary ski storage and ticketing. A complimentary skier shuttle will transport guests from the day-skier parking directly to the amenities and lift access. 

When all phases of expansion are complete, Alterra said, Deer Valley will add 3,700 acres of skiable terrain, more than doubling the size of the resort and making Deer Valley one of the largest ski resorts in North America. The group said that this project represents Deer Valley’s first terrain expansion since 2008 and “stands as one of the most significant expansions in the ski industry over the past four decades,” according to a press release.

Guest Amenities

  • Crystal Mountain officially opened its Mountain Commons Lodge over the summer and will be fully online for the 2024-25 winter season. This new 25,000 square foot facility includes full-service skier service amenities and a variety of food and beverage options, including the new Brew 62 Café, an upstairs dining area and bar and an expanded slope-side area.
  • Mammoth Mountain will see further improvements to Woolly’s Adventure Summit, including a new full-service Day Lodge, the re-opening of the Mountain Coaster and the addition of summer tubing lanes, which opened in Summer 2024, Alterra said. Woolly’s Mountain Coaster descends over 3,500 feet of downhill track back down to Woolly’s Day Lodge. Anticipated to open for winter 2024-25, Woolly’s Day Lodge will feature 6,000 square feet of facilities including public restrooms, ticketing, food and beverage, retail goods and indoor and outdoor patio dining areas, Alterra said.
  • Steamboat Grand Hotel reopens in November after a “complete overhaul” in infrastructure, plus new furniture and décor in the rooms and other features throughout the building, Alterra said.
  • The Sundog Taproom will be the new hot spot in the heart of the Winter Park base village. This casual restaurant and taproom will add more than 130 seats and 30 self-serve taps of beer.

New and Refurbished Lifts

This year, Alterra said, it will invest in an additional seven lifts, including new or replacement lifts aimed at increasing skier capacity and speed at Mammoth Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort and Sugarbush, plus lift refurbishments at Mammoth Mountain, Steamboat and Stratton, which the group said are aimed at “offering improved operational reliability.”

  • Mammoth Mountain will replace Broadway Express (Chair 1), the mountain’s longest-running chair, with an upgrade from an early detachable quad to “one of the world’s fastest high-speed 6-person chairs,” which Alterra said will increase capacity by 25% and improve opening times after major weather events. This upgrade follows a replacement of Canyon Express (Chair 16) last season. Other upgrades are being made to further modernize the mountain’s chairlifts to reduce stoppages and wait times. Face Lift Express (Chair 3) and Unbound Express (Chair 6) will receive upgrades to improve the efficiency and reliability of the chairlifts, Alterra said.
  • Big Bear Mountain Resort will replace both Chair 2 and Chair 5 at Bear Mountain with a single high-speed six-person chair, Alterra said, which will have a new alignment to “provide dramatically improved access and flow around the mountain.”
  • Sugarbush will replace the Heaven’s Gate triple lift with a new four-person lift to “provide an enhanced summit experience, more weather resistance and greater reliability.”
  • Stratton will modernize the Ursa Lift to “improve operational efficiency and maximize uphill capacity.”

More Efficient Snowmaking

Alterra said it is investing in “robust, multi-year snowmaking enhancement programs designed to bring higher efficiency equipment to resorts.” Winter Park will see the culmination of a $37 million, two-year effort to completely rebuild the snowmaking infrastructure. Other notable upgrade efforts include increased coverage at Mammoth Mountain, Palisades Tahoe, Big Bear Mountain Resort, Stratton and Sugarbush. According to Alterra, these new systems have increased energy efficiency and reduced water usage.