Park City Mountain to Replace Cabriolet Lift with Modern Gondola at Canyons Village

Photo: Lift Blog

The iconic open-air Cabriolet lift at Canyons Village, a staple for skiers and riders for a quarter-century, is possibly on the chopping block. Park City Mountain and the Canyons Village Management Association (CVMA) just dropped the news that the beloved, albeit dated, lift may be replaced with a modern, fully enclosed gondola.

This move is a key piece of a massive overhaul transforming the Canyons Village base area. This spring, crews broke ground on a new five-story, 1,800-plus vehicle parking garage. This new structure will centralize the scattered surface parking lots, meaning way more people will be funneling through the lower lot and relying on lift access to get to the main base.

Photo: Park City Investor

The original Cabriolet, installed back in 2000, could move a respectable 3,000 people per hour. But its open-air design, which offered zero protection from biting winter winds and wasn't exactly ideal for hauling bikes, is a major drawback. Given the lift's age and the rising number of visitors, a modern replacement may be on the horizon.

The new gondola is expected to take about a year to build, with hopes of having it operational for the 2026–27 ski season. While final specs are still being finalized, it could feature larger, enclosed cabins that would enhance the guest experience and potentially improve year-round functionality—especially for summer mountain biking access.

This development comes on the heels of another major lift project, the Sunrise Gondola, which is set to start spinning this winter, connecting Canyons Village to the Red Pine Lodge. It's clear that there's a major investment being poured into modernizing the resort's infrastructure and access.

For locals and die-hard visitors who want to get the full scoop and provide feedback, an open house is scheduled for Monday, July 14, at the Grand Summit Hotel.