Lee Canyon ski resort near Las Vegas adds ski lift, parking for new beginner’s area

Visitors to Lee Canyon can expect a few upgrades geared toward novice snow sport athletes next season, thanks to a $7 million capital project announced at the Spring Mountains-area ski resort.

Lee Canyon will add a new quad chairlift, a 500-foot “Sunkid” conveyor lift and 450 extra parking spaces, according to a news release Wednesday.

The improvements come to address the site’s increase in visitors who are new to snow sports, according to the release.

“Lee Canyon is seeing more visitors, especially first-time and youth skiers and snowboarders. Collectively, these investments mean we can better serve the needs of those populations,” General Manager Dan Hooper said in a statement.

Guests will take the “magic carpet” lift in the Rabbit Peak chairlift area to get access to the new chairlift, or access it through trails off the Sherwood triple chair. The new parking spaces will also be located near the new chairlift area for easy access.

Called Ponderosa, the new quad lift will be on the mountain’s southeast side to give access to three intermediate runs: Foxtail Alley, Limber Pine Lane and Bonanza Ridge. The trails are ideal for skiers and snowboarders progressing from beginner to intermediate terrain, the resort said.

“This is an investment in Lee Canyon’s guest experience,” Hooper said in the release. “The Ponderosa chair makes popular trails easy to reach while also allowing skiers/riders to be more (dispersed) throughout the property.”

The capital improvement project comes about four months after Durango, Colorado-based Mountain Capital Partners purchased the ski resort. The firm owns and manages 12 ski resorts and bike parks including Lee Canyon. Season pass products offer reciprocal days at other Mountain Capital resorts, including in nearby Brian Head, Utah.

Lee Canyon’s last capital project was the Hillside Lodge, a 10,000 square-foot ski-in, ski-out facility with food and beverage outlets, which opened in the 2019-2020 season. The resort also debuted a downhill mountain bike park last summer, according to the release.

Construction projects are not expected to interfere with summer operations, the resort said.

McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on Twitter.