This past season, Brian Head Resort located in southern Utah experienced its longest season in 60 years, with a record-setting 178 skiable days. In 2023, Brian Head released its Master Development Plan, which included 850 new acres of skiable terrain and 1,800 acres for a 2,000-acre ski-in, ski-out community, potentially making it the seventh-largest ski resort in the state. This year, ...
This past season, Brian Head Resort located in southern Utah experienced its longest season in 60 years, with a record-setting 178 skiable days. In 2023, Brian Head released its Master Development Plan, which included 850 new acres of skiable terrain and 1,800 acres for a 2,000-acre ski-in, ski-out community, potentially making it the seventh-largest ski resort in the state. This year, Brian Head has announced over $1 million in planned improvements, including expanded snowmaking, an RFID ticket system and additional novice glading. Along with Brian Head’s 360” of average snowfall, these upgrades will improve terrain access and operational reliability, reinforcing the resort’s growing reputation for early openings and season longevity.
Before any of this can come to fruition, the Dixie National Forest (DNF) must conduct an environmental review. This process would be under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in response to the resort’s 2023 Master Development Plan (MDP). The DNF aims to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the resort’s proposal, the scope of the analysis, and to promote public feedback and informed USFS decision-making.
The expansion is expected to be fully built out over the next three decades. Plans for developing the new trails had already been made and trail cutting began in May. The expansion would be located northeast of the 650 acres where Brian Head is located now. The expansion would give Brian Head a total of 1,500 acres, making it the seventh largest resort in the state in terms of skiable acreage. “Together, we will advance our purpose of giving people the freedom to ski while expanding both our winter and summer operations in the future,” Marilyn Butler, Brian Head’s general manager, said in a news release.
Brian Head operates on National Forest System (NFS) lands under a special use permit (SUP). The resort encompasses approximately 896 acres with operations on both sides of State Highway 143. In addition to NFS lands, the Resort also operates on a combination of state, town, and private property. Based on DNF’s 1986 Forest Plan, the Forest Service identified the need to meet the demand for increased downhill skiing capacity. The Forest Service will use the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to inform the decision regarding whether to approve, in whole or in part, Brian Head’s application.
The DNF will analyze Brian Head’s MDP and assess the potential for impacts on various resources, including water, cultural resources, scenery, recreation, traffic and transportation, wildlife, and socioeconomics. According to the report, specific areas the DNF will analyze include:
Brian Head MDP identified several areas where it would expand and improve its resort, which include:
According to Brian Head’s MDP, the existing 887-acre SUP would increase by 1,651 acres, totaling 2,538 acres. It also said that the SUP boundary adjustment is necessary to accommodate the additional terrain, lifts, and facilities that would be built to increase the resort’s capacity.
Brian Head plans to upgrade and build additional lift infrastructure, which includes the installation of a total of 14 new lifts. These lifts would be located on NFS land and be directly connected to private land. Those lifts include: seven new aerial lifts, three new surface lifts, and four new aerial lifts spanning private and NFS lands. Those considered connected actions include: Sid’s Peak lift, Summit lift, Roulette 2, and Dragon’s Back.