Deer Valley expansion set to double terrain by 2025/26, adding 80 more trails and seven lifts

A view of Deer Valley's east side from the Jordanelle State Park on July 1, 2025 where the resort is planning to open 7 new lifts and 80 new trails this winter. Photo: Marina Knight // TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah — Construction is surging ahead on Deer Valley Resort’s massive East Village expansion, a transformative project set to double the size of the resort by the 2025/26 ski season. Officials from Deer Valley, developer Extell, and the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) say the buildout is among the largest active ski resort expansions in North America, adding over 2,000 acres of terrain, 100 new runs, 10 new chairlifts, and a major new village base.

Last winter, Communications Director for Deer Valley, Emily Summers said Deer Valley opened 3 new lifts and added 20 new trails, including terrain off Keetley Point and what the resort now boasts is the longest ski run in Utah – Green Monster – 4.85 miles long. This winter, Summers said Deer Valley will bring an additional 7 ski lifts and 80 trails online.

This year, skiers can look forward to skiing four previously undeveloped peaks. Pioche and Neptune Express chairlifts will open terrain on the north side of the east village. The East Village Gondola and Pinyon Express will access new terrain opening on Park Peak, situated in higher-elevation terrain between Baldy and Flagstaff. Pinyon Express is the lift the Park City Planning Commission approved in May of 2024. It originates between where the trails Homeward Bound and Ontario meet. Vulcan, Revelator and Galena Express will round out access to much of the heart of the new east side, situated east and south of the terrain that debuted last year. Deer Valley said it will continue its policy of limiting daily skier numbers to preserve the guest experience.

A cornerstone of the project is the construction of what the resort is calling the most advanced snowmaking system on the continent. According to Snowmaking Manager Brett Hawksford, the system includes 1,200 snow guns, 350,000 feet of pipeline, three new pump houses, and a new 10-million-gallon snowmaking pond. It’s designed specifically to provide consistent snow coverage across the new terrain, which lies mostly under 7,700 feet in elevation and includes many south- and east-facing slopes—conditions less favorable for natural snow retention.

“This system is designed to ensure exceptional coverage and reliable conditions across the new terrain from day one,” Hawksford said in an update released by the resort.

Extell Executive Vice President Kurt Krieg presented further details about the expansion during a June 24 meeting of the MIDA board. He reported that more than 2 million square feet of development is currently under construction in the East Village area, just off U.S. Highway 40. The work includes luxury hotels, condominiums, skier services, retail, and dining facilities that will make up the heart of the new village core.

A report presented by MIDA to Wasatch County officials in May indicates that, by full buildout, the East Village area will hold more than 6,000 new residential units and hotel rooms.

The entire project is a public-private partnership involving Deer Valley, Extell, and MIDA, the state-run land use authority that oversees development in the area.

Officials say the goal is to evolve the eastern edge of Deer Valley into a year-round destination, with continued updates planned throughout the 2025 construction season.