Year round Gondola proposal For Aspen highlands

Aspen Highlands may soon shed its reputation as a winter-only "skier’s mountain" to join the ranks of its year-round siblings, Aspen Mountain and Snowmass. Under a bold 2025 Master Development Plan (MDP) recently submitted to the U.S. Forest Service, the resort is eyeing a transformative overhaul that includes its first-ever gondola, new infill lifts, and a solution to the base-area bottlenecks that have long plagued the mountain.

Over the past decade, Aspen Highlands has averaged roughly 210,000 skier visits per season. While that steady popularity highlights the mountain’s cult-status terrain, it has also exposed critical infrastructure weaknesses—most notably a lack of lift redundancy and a "single point of failure" at the base area.

A key component of the proposal is a new gondola that would allow Aspen Highlands to run lift service in both winter and summer, joining Aspen Mountain and Snowmass in offering year-round access for sightseeing, hiking and events. Resort leaders say the move would diversify Highlands’ business, support the local economy beyond ski season and better connect the area to the broader Aspen Snowmass network.

The Maroon Bells Gondola

The centerpiece of the proposal is the Maroon Bells Gondola, a 10-person high-speed system designed to replace the aging Exhibition Lift, which has served as the mountain's primary artery for 31 years.

The new gondola would feature a two-stage flight:

• Stage One: Rising from the Highlands Village to a mid-station near the Merry-Go-Round restaurant.

• Stage Two: Continuing to the summit of the Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro at 10,840 feet.

• Vertical & Capacity: The lift would rise 2,750 vertical feet and increase uphill capacity from 1,800 to 2,400 skiers per hour.

Crucially, the gondola would enable year-round operations, allowing foot passengers to access the iconic views of the Maroon Bells in the summer and providing "downloading" capabilities for skiers during lean snow years.

Redundancy and the "Apple Strudel" Lift

To address the lack of backup options when the main lift is down, the plan proposes a new infill lift named Apple Strudel. This detachable quad would revive a historic alignment once occupied by the "Grand Prix" Poma in the 1970s.

By starting near the intersection of the Apple Strudel and Nugget trails and terminating at the Merry-Go-Round, the lift would allow skiers to lap mid-mountain terrain without returning to the base. It also provides a vital alternative route to the upper mountain should the main gondola experience mechanical issues.

Modernizing the Base and Beyond

The 140-page master plan doesn't stop at the summit. Other key highlights include:

• Thunderbowl Upgrade: The existing fixed-grip triple would be replaced with a high-speed detachable quad, boosting capacity to 1,800 riders per hour and better serving the Goldenhorn race arena.

• Restaurant Expansions: To accommodate higher guest volume, the Merry-Go-Round would gain 5,000 square feet (adding 220 seats), while Cloud Nine would double in size with new indoor and outdoor dining levels.

• The "Interconnect" Dream: The plan acknowledges a long-term vision of an aerial tramway connecting some or all of the four Aspen Snowmass mountains, though this remains a conceptual "conversation starter" with the Forest Service rather than an immediate project.

Next Steps

The U.S. Forest Service (White River National Forest) is currently reviewing the MDP to ensure it aligns with federal land-use goals, with a decision on "acceptance" expected by early summer. Even if accepted, each individual lift and building project must undergo a formal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review before construction can begin.

If approved, the upgrades would mark the most significant capital investment at Aspen Highlands since the 1990s, cementing its transition from a local favorite to a world-class, multi-season destination.