Big Improvements Announced for Upcoming Utah Olympic Venue

Snowbasin is hosting multiple alpine skiing events in the 2034 Olympics and Paralympics. In a press release shared with POWDER, the resort unveiled a slew of upgrades ahead of the events.

Planned updates include refurbished gondola cabins, improved beginner terrain and changed parking for guests. Importantly, Snowbasin has announced they're adding a brand-new, high-speed chairlift for next season (Winter '25/'25). It's Snowbasin's fourth lift addition during the last six seasons.

This is not Snowbasin's first rodeo hosting events of this scale (the resort also hosted the 2002 Olympic games), so upgrading amenities does not seem out of the norm. For their last Olympic hosting, this privilege similarly involved many upgrades and developments to Snowbasin , including the addition of three lodges, terrain expansion, two new gondolas, a tram, and high-speed quad.

This work served as important, for the Olympics, but also for Snowbasin's fame and popularity with skiers moving forward. The Grizzly Downhill and Wildflower Downhill, are still accessible to guests at the resort today.

One of the important upgrades this time around involves upgrading an old chairlift, the Becker Chair. The upgrade, scheduled to be ready for the winter of 2025-26, will upgrade the old fixed-grip triple chair to a detachable quad.

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Davy Ratchford, General Manager of Snowbasin, said these upgrades come from a place of wanting improved guest accessibility. Ratchford explained, “Snowbasin is committed to being the most accessible mountain in Utah and these improvements will make a significant impact to our accessibility and efficiency. We look forward to welcoming guests to experience these new enhancements, which will further elevate the world-class amenities and top-notch service we strive to provide.”

According to Snowbasin's website, the Becker Chair is one of the resort’s oldest chairs, "initially installed in 1986." The new and improved Becker chair will increase the uphill capacity to 1,800 riders per hour. The high-speed lift will also cut skiers’ lift time in half, offering a swift six-minute ride to the top terminal.

Officials at Snowbasin explained that "the Snowbasin team has spent the summer clearing the path for the new lift line, paving the way for an enhanced guest experience."

The parking updates, however, are likely a close second. Snowbasin promised to attempt to optimize traffic flow through a rethink of their current parking situation.

A press release sent to POWDER on August 22, 2024 detailed that Snowbasin will continue to offer free parking without reservations and free shuttle service from the lots to the mountain, and has "seen success with recent initiatives to improve the resort’s arrival experience, including the expansion of parking lots and doubling bus service."

Over the summer, Snowbasin partnered with the Utah Department of Transportation to implement a new traffic pattern off Trapper’s Loop that allows cars from south and northbound lanes to both turn onto Snowbasin Road, optimizing traffic flow and even increasing cars speeds by 25%.

In an environmentally-minded initiative, Snowbasin's Earl’s parking lots A-E will be reserved for vehicles with three or more people every weekend until 11 a.m., prioritizing access to skiing for those who carpool.

All of these immediate upgrades are exciting for Snowbasin skiers, but hosting the Olympics, while farther on the horizon, is perhaps the most exciting of all.

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