Industry News
In a bold move to elevate its standing in Utah’s competitive ski market, Sundance Resort has confirmed it will add a new high-speed quad lift and significantly expand terrain by the 2026-27 ski season, as reported by The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast. This much-anticipated project, which is centered on Sundance’s highest and best “back mountain” terrain, will add 165 acres of skiable terrain and streamline access to some of the resort’s best skiing, which slower lifts have long restricted.
The centerpiece of the expansion is the Electric Horseman, a high-speed detachable quad named after the 1979 film starring former resort owner Robert Redford. The lift will climb 1,850 vertical feet from the base of the Wildwood area to a point adjacent to the top of Red’s Lift, offering swift access to Sundance’s upper reaches and enabling efficient laps on terrain that had previously required a time-consuming, three-lift journey.
The development marks a pivotal moment for Sundance. Thanks to towering views of Mt. Timpanogos and dramatic canyon walls, Sundance is often regarded as one of Utah’s most picturesque resorts but has struggled to match the infrastructure and visibility of its regional neighbors. With six major resorts clustered closer to Salt Lake City and aligned with mega-passes like Epic and Ikon, Sundance has had to rely on charm and legacy. But in today’s high-speed, high-volume ski world, charm alone doesn’t cut it.
Since 2020, Sundance’s new owners, Broadreach Capital Partners and Cedar Capital Partners, have been steadily rewriting that narrative. Recent upgrades include the installation of the Outlaw Express quad, the opening of Wildwood’s beginner-focused terrain, new surface lifts, expanded snowmaking and night skiing, and the $5 million Mountain Camp lodge. The Electric Horseman lift and accompanying terrain will complete this on-mountain transformation, increasing Sundance’s skiable acreage by 32% and granting high-speed access to the entire lift-served mountain for the first time.
- Related: The Growth of Skiable Terrain in the Western U.S. Has Been Far Greater Than You Might Think
Phase one of the project, set to debut for the 2025-26 season, includes nine new trails across 60 acres. When fully complete, the new lift will span nearly a mile and feature 16 towers designed to blend with the natural topography, crossing ridges and bowls in a manner carefully planned to minimize visual disruption. Placing the load station close to the new Mountain Camp lodge also capitalizes on that area’s growing popularity, as it’s already drawing significant skier traffic.
When the Electric Horseman opens, only one of Sundance’s older lifts—the 1975 Flathead triple—will remain unchanged, and it’s expected to be decommissioned in the future. All modern lifts at Sundance will be Doppelmayr-built, except for the Skytrac-manufactured Wildwood.
The investment in Electric Horseman and the broader expansion pushes Sundance’s recent capital outlay above $40 million. Despite the scale of upgrades, Sundance leadership remains committed to the resort’s intimate feel. A new hotel with just 63 rooms will open next winter, carefully designed to blend into the natural landscape, and most of the resort’s 5,000 acres remain under conservation easements.
In an era of big passes and bigger crowds, Sundance is betting that skiers will increasingly seek out the kind of authentic, thoughtfully scaled experience it aims to offer, especially when Electric Horseman begins spinning. Once the projects are complete, it will change the way people see Sundance in more ways than one. It will be offering a modern ski experience with dynamic terrain and high-speed lifts, without sacrificing the soul of the ski area.
