Aspen Snowmass, a division of Aspen One, is reportedly set to break ground this month on nearly $80 million of on-mountain improvement projects at Snowmass. Improvement highlights include two new high-speed chairlifts and a complete reconstruction of one of the resort’s on-mountain restaurants.

The company said the investments are part of an intentional effort by Aspen One to upgrade on-mountain infrastructure more rapidly in the coming years.

“We have a huge summer ahead for on-mountain developments here at Aspen Snowmass,” said Geoff Buchheister, CEO of Aspen Skiing Company. “These projects represent Aspen One’s commitment to ongoing investment in delivering the most exceptional guest experience possible. They support the continued longevity of our business and our legacy of delivering world-class adventures. I’d like to extend my gratitude to our dedicated teams and partners for their hard work and collaboration to see these projects through to completion.”

Aspen Chairlift Upgrades

  • New Elk Camp 6-Pack Lift: The existing Elk Camp Quad Chair will be replaced with a new high-speed lift that services popular terrain, reducing ski season wait times and will efficiently upload more bikes to the Snowmass Bike Park in the summer months. This lift represents a major investment in the Snowmass Bike Park operations as it will almost double the capacity of bike haul, which was a major driving factor in the project.
  • New Cirque T-Bar: This new T-Bar lift will replace the existing platter lift, reducing wait times at one of the highest lifts in North America, which accesses some of Snowmass’ high alpine terrain. This replacement will double the capacity of this lift from a single-rider to a double-rider capacity.

“This is the first time in nearly two decades that Snowmass has added two new lifts in one season,” the company said in a media release. “These upgrades join other major on-mountain investment projects across Aspen Snowmass’ mountains in recent years, including The Cabin and Coney Express upgrades at Snowmass this past winter, the Hero’s terrain expansion at Aspen Mountain and the Buttermilk base area renovation, both completed in 2023.”

The company said that as construction for the on-mountain developments takes place, some closures and operational impacts will occur throughout the summer season. It will share more information on its website, locally in Aspen and in-resort in the coming months.

“The areas of terrain served by these lifts are some of the most popular on our mountain,” said Susan Cross, mountain manager at Snowmass. “These updates allow for guests to more smoothly access Snowmass’ classic wide-open slopes and sweeping vistas at Elk Camp, and the incredible variety of high-alpine terrain we have off The Cirque. I am proud that we continue to invest in making this mountain the best that it can be and having high-speed, higher capacity lifts is critical to the Snowmass experience.”

Dining Upgrades
The resort is also upgrading and rebuilding restaurants. Ullrhof, the mid-mountain restaurant on Snowmass, will undergo a complete rebuild and is set to re-open for the 2026/27 winter season. Elk Camp restaurant will also see upgrades this summer, pending approval from the Town of Snowmass Village, with a proposed expansion of 120 seats to the outdoor deck footprint.

Other focused areas this summer include:

  • Snowmaking Upgrades: Aspen Snowmass will continue to improve its snowmaking infrastructure across Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk, regardless of weather conditions.
  • Forest Health Projects: Forest health and safety projects are planned across all four mountains, with a focus on improving wildlife habitats, reducing wildfire risks and maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Aspen Skiing Company said it has and will continue to work closely with White River National Forest on the review and construction process for each development.

“It is impressive to see this level of investment at Snowmass,” said Monte Lutterman, Mountain Resorts and Recreation special uses supervisor for Aspen, Sopris Ranger District. “I believe visitors will genuinely benefit from these improvements for decades to come.”

Image courtesy Aspen Snowmass/Ullrhof