Parts of Utah’s Newest Ski Resort Could Open This Summer

“So your activity during the day will be focused on the ski beach…your outdoor dining, watching the skiers come down, and really partaking. And then during the afternoon, it really shifts after après and goes to the village core, where you have your firepits and your retail and your outside seating, or outdoor dining for the restaurants.” –Kurt Krieg, Vice President of Development for Extell Utah

One of the most fascinating storylines in the ski industry right now is the construction of Mayflower Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah. KPCW reports that Extell Utah, the developer of the site, gave an update and new renderings for the anticipated project. Their goal for this summer is for the construction crews to “clear [the] ground, build trails and prepare foundations for ski lift poles expected to go in next summer.” Some of the lifts could open in December 2023, but resort officials admit it could take another winter for a soft opening.The project will open in phases. Two of the apartment buildings that are currently being constructed could open this September, with Extell Utah planning to release the listings onto the market in the near future. A five-mile hiking trail will also open this summer, and is described by Brooke Hontz, VP of Development for Extell Utah, as follows:

“I think it’s at about 7,000 feet, It runs just above the village and dips into the valleys and comes back out onto the ridges, and then it’ll take off onto a north spur that does climb up to Spin Cycle. So, that’s one of our goals, is to get people onto our site but keep them safe. One of the challenges is connecting that down to the frontage road and having some parking without establishing a full trailhead.”

Some of the plans for the ski resort include an extensive parking lot (550 parking spaces are already paved and lined), a hotel for U.S. military members and a conference center, a 159-room hotel, ski school, ski beach, 70,000 square feet of retail space, and rental shops. In terms of skiing, there will be 4300 acres of skiable terrain with a 3200-foot vertical drop. The terrain will be 20% beginner, 60% intermediate, and 20% advanced and above. When it’s fully built out, the ski resort will have 1 gondola and 18 chairlifts. Summer activities will include hiking and mountain biking and could feature ziplining in the future. Other questions, like whether snowboarding will be allowed, or if they’ll partner with their neighbor Deer Valley, have not been decided yet. The resort is expected to be fully open for skiing operations in 2025.Image Credits: KPCW, TownLift, Extell Utah, Skimap.org