Industry News
Powder Mountain is once again expanding its private lift offerings—this time with county approval in place as its master plan awaits formal review. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the Cache County Planning Commission voted Thursday to greenlight the construction of a new ski lift and maintenance facility in the resort’s northeast Davenport zone. The lift, which will serve a private section of the mountain, is expected to be operational by the 2025–26 season.
This marks the second consecutive year that county officials have approved development requests from Powder Mountain while a comprehensive review of its master plan remains pending. The resort formally submitted its master plan in October 2024. However, the county’s review process has taken longer than expected. Planning officials say a formal public review is still a few months away.
Despite the timing, the resort, which spans 12,000 acres and is now the largest ski area in North America by terrain, continues to move ahead with phased development. The new Davenport lift will serve the private Powder Haven community—accessible only to members and their guests. It’s part of a vision introduced by majority owner Reed Hastings, who acquired control of the resort in 2023. The model blends public access with a limited-membership experience, where private revenue helps fund public access.
That approach has created some friction. Several lifts that once served the general public—Mary’s, Village, and Raintree—became private this past season. Some community members have expressed frustration over limited access. In addition to the new lift, the commission approved construction of a replacement maintenance facility and nine miles of new hiking and biking trails, to be completed by summer 2026.
Powder Mountain is also moving forward with its creative “art park” concept. The site includes large bells and a rainbow tunnel magic carpet meant for kids. While these developments saw minimal pushback, some officials questioned the process. Local Councilman Nolan Gunnell criticized the ongoing practice of approving individual projects before a master plan is fully vetted.
Close to 30 public comments were submitted before the meeting, many voicing concern over approving more development before the planning process concludes. However, only one individual spoke publicly at the meeting, doing so twice. The vote still passed, securing another step forward for Powder’s evolving model of mountain recreation.
Powder Mountain representatives emphasized that their goal remains to work transparently and cooperatively with Cache County. While they would have preferred to move through the traditional planning timeline, delays in the county’s review process prompted staff to recommend individual submissions in the interim. Powder Mountain says it is committed to seeing the full master plan through.
