For 25 years, the Cabriolet lift has delivered skiers and snowboarders to some of the best slopes in Park City. The owner of the ski resort changed three times during that stretch, but the red, open-air gondola always remained the same.
Until now.
Park City Mountain is considering replacing the standing-only lift with an enclosed gondola ahead of the 2026-27 ski season. On Wednesday, it announced it will be holding a public open house in conjunction with the Canyons Village Management Association to discuss the change and share preliminary concepts.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Skiers ride the Park City Mountain Cabriolet Ski Lift near the Canyons Village in Park City on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024.
The lift serves as the main free conduit between the public parking lot near Kimball Junction and bus lines off State Route 224 to what is now known as Canyons Village.
The Cabriolet was installed in 2000, according to the website LiftBlog.com. At that time, the resort was simply called The Canyons and it was operated by American Ski Company. Talisker bought the resort in 2008, and Vail Resorts, the current operator, took over ownership in 2014.
Peter Landsman, LitfBlog’s founder, said cabriolet lifts were favored by American Ski Company in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They quickly fell out of favor, however, in part because while they are quick to load, they have no seats and can be cold and uncomfortable to ride.
“They’re quite unique,” he said.
However, comfort is not why Landsman believes Park City Mountain is looking to upgrade the lift.
“The main reason for replacing this lift is probably just age and maintenance,” he said. “It’s not a new lift anymore. It runs long hours in the winter, really early morning until into the night, so there’s a ton of hours on it. And it’s 25 years old, and probably just time for replacement.”
Another factor in Park City Mountain’s decision is that the Cabriolet is destined to see increased use starting in 2026-27. TC Finance, which owns much of the land around The Canyons, is constructing a five-story parking garage that will include 1,850 parking stalls. That accounts for all the current public parking at Canyons Village, both at the Cabriolet lot and closer to the slopes.
(Jack Loosmann | Park City Mountain) A rendering of the new three-tier parking structure that Vail Resorts is erecting on the Cabriolet lot in Canyons Village at Park City Mountain. Construction, and parking disruptions, are slated to begin Monday, March 17, 2025.
Replacing the Cabriolet is expected to take no more than a year, according to a Park City Mountain media email, and is planned to coincide with the completion of the parking garage, pending approvals. A resort spokesperson confirmed the Cabriolet will remain open for the upcoming 2025-26 ski season.
Landsman also pointed out that the current Cabriolet lift is not bike friendly for summertime users of the mountain. He expects the new gondola to accommodate mountain bikes and be similar to the Sunrise Gondola, a 10-person gondola Park City Mountain plans to open in December.
The Sunrise Gondola will be the first lift built or replaced at Park City Mountain since Over and Out in 2019. No lift has been built or replaced on the Mountain Village side since the Quicksilver Gondola in 2015.
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Park City Mountain Resort employees move parts designated for the resort's new Eagle lift, Thursday, July 7, 2022. Residents and the Park City Planning Commission blocked the resort from being able to install the lift because of discrepancies in resort capacities by two firms.
Vail Resorts planned to replace two lifts in 2022 but its staff-level approvals were denied by the Park City Planning Commission. In April, both sides presented their cases to a panel of Utah Court of Appeals judges. No decision has been issued.
The Cabriolet open house is scheduled for July 14 from 4-6 p.m. at the Grand Summit Hotel in Canyons Village. Attendees can park in the Upper Village Lot.