What's New in Utah for Families This Winter (2026-27)

Deer Valley: Hail Peak Express, 200 new acres and a family snow-feature zone

• What's new: Hail Peak Express runs from Deer Valley East Village to new terrain on Hail Peak, with 200 new skiable acres and 7 new runs. That brings Deer Valley to 4,500 skiable acres, 209 runs and 32 lifts, with 932 acres of snowmaking.
• Family angle: The resort is adding a family-friendly snow-feature zone with rollers and berms. It's tentatively planned for Pirate King, a green run off Pioche Express, along with rollers on Humbug and a family area on McHenry. Part of last year's new terrain near the Pioche and Neptune lifts couldn't open because of low snow, and the resort hopes to open it this winter. Deer Valley says Pioche serves green, blue and black terrain, and Neptune serves all abilities.
• Not yet: The East Village Lodge, which will have a ski school, rentals and a food hall, and the Park Peak Lodge both open for 2027-28. This winter East Village uses a temporary skier services building.
• Opening: Dec 5, 2026 target.

See Park City vs Deer Valley for families and the Deer Valley profile.

Park City Mountain: a covered gondola at Canyons Village

• What's new: The new 10-person Canyons Village Skyway gondola runs from the new Canyons Village Parking Structure to the Canyons Village Forum, with a mid-station in the village. It replaces the open-air Cabriolet. The 22-foot Eagle Superpipe is back, and Limelight Bowl has the resort's first remote avalanche control system.
• Family angle: This is the change I'd notice most with kids. The resort promises covered parking, better drop-off areas and a gondola straight from the garage, which means less carrying of skis and little ones through the cold. Parking at the new structure is free before noon for cars with four or more people, $29 a day otherwise, and free for everyone after noon. Also new this season, an app lets parents follow their child's progress in kids' lessons, and a Build-A-Bear Workshop is opening at Canyons Village. The beginner areas are still High Meadow Park and the Red Pine learning zone at Canyons, plus First Time Park at Mountain Village.
• Not yet: Two lift replacements are targeted for 2027-28, and a court challenge to the city's approval is still pending. Silverlode is getting an 8-person chair. Eagle and Eaglet will be replaced by one 6-person lift with a mid-station unload.
• Opening: Nov 20, 2026 target.

See Park City Mountain and Park City trip planning.

Powder Mountain: DMI (experts only) and Sundown Express

• What's new: The new DMI lift opens 1,000+ acres and 2,200 feet of vertical in Wolf Creek Canyon. That terrain used to be reachable only on a guided backcountry tour, and 900 of those acres are lift-served. Sundown Express, a new high-speed quad, replaces the old Sundown fixed-grip quad for day and night skiing. Both lifts are expected to run this season.
• Family angle: To be honest, DMI is steep, technical expert terrain. The family piece is Sundown Express. The new 15,000 sq ft Sundown Lodge will be the home of the Ski & Ride School, rentals and lockers, and it opens for 2027-28. The planned Doodle beginner lift is on hold while the resort studies a better location, with no date yet. This is also the last season for the Sunrise Poma.
• Opening: Dec 11, 2026 target.

See Powder Mountain and the Powder Mountain kids pass.

Snowbird: new beginner Chickadee lift

• What's new: Chickadee is now a fixed-grip quad with a slow-loading conveyor, built to carry up to 1,600 people an hour. The old double carried 1,000 an hour. Snowbird also regraded the Chickadee learning area so it's easier for beginners to reach and get around, and it added 11 automated snow guns for early season.
• Family angle: This is the most direct beginner upgrade in Utah this year. A loading conveyor on the learning lift is a big deal when you're riding up with a 5-year-old.
• Opening: Nov 27, 2026 target.

See Snowbird and Alta vs Snowbird.

Snowbasin: Meadow Pavilion

• What's new: The Meadow Pavilion adds room for lunch and breaks and serves as a home base for ski school students between lessons. It also houses the ticket office now.
• Opening: Nov 27, 2026 target.

See Snowbasin and Snowbasin vs Snowbird.

Alta: bigger Albion Day Lodge

• What's new: The Albion Day Lodge renovation adds 3,400 sq ft of dining space and more patio seating. The lower level adds a lounge with a fireplace, cubbies for day use, more seasonal lockers and a larger Alta Java. A new avalanche-control tower in the Devil's Castle area should help open powder terrain faster.
• Family angle: Albion is the beginner side of Alta, so more indoor room and day-use cubbies there help families.
• Opening: Nov 20, 2026 target.

See Alta.

Brighton: Sunday night skiing

• What's new: Brighton will now run night skiing every Sunday and close on Tuesdays instead. The Milly Chalet becomes a quick-service Mexican restaurant, and there's a new Off-Peak Pass.
• Family angle: A weekend trip gets one more night session. Just remember that Tuesday is the closed day when you plan.
• Opening: Not announced yet.

See Brighton, Brighton night skiing with kids and Brighton vs Solitude.

Solitude: more snowmaking

New fixed and mobile snow guns plus upgrades across the whole system, building on more than $5 million spent on snowmaking last season. Nov 20, 2026 target. See Solitude.

Sundance: Electric Horseman quad

A new high-speed quad climbs more than 1,850 vertical feet in a six-minute ride, so the summit is now two lift rides from the parking lot. It also opens new terrain, including Storyteller, an upper-intermediate groomer. Opening date not announced yet.

Also worth knowing

• Brian Head opens first, Nov 6. A new snowmaking pipeline lets crews run up to 24 guns at once, up from 16 to 18. That should help the beginner terrain near the Kids Camp Conveyor and Pioneer lift open sooner.
• Nordic Valley has a new high-speed six-person chair, Nordic Express, which nearly doubles its runs and serves all ability levels. Opening date not announced yet.
• Eagle Point is closed for 2026-27 after the Cottonwood Fire.