Lost Utah Ski Areas
As soon as I learned to ski, I also learned I love ski history. In those mid 90’s days of early internet the only choice I had was to scour books at the library and talk to old-timers to figure out where tows, runs, and lifts used to be. Even when the internet came and more information was available I preferred to get out in the mountains looking for clues and documenting what I found. Many of those old film photos are lost, but I wanted to share a little bit of info on a few of my favorites that I haven’t seen others talking about in case others come along needing a starting point for their own adventures.
The other reason to share these is because in the decades since I first found them much of the evidence of their existence has been remove and many of the folks who actually skied there have passed away. Now is a good time to gather and record these histories before it’s too late. Scroll on through or use the links below to jump to specific areas:
- Loafer View Ski Club (Payson)
- Mantua (Unknown Name)
- Lindsay Hill (Heber City)
- Beaver Mountain (Original Location, Logan)
- Grizzly Ridge (Vernal)
- Blue Mountain (Monticello)
- Little Mountain (Salt Lake City)
Note: I also I have a goal of skiing all of these lost areas, so I’ve noted that as well.
Loafer (Payson)
Have I Skied It: Yes (1999-ish)
I’ve heard this called Loaf View Ski Club and Loafer Ski Club, but my childhood scout leader had skied there with his kids and gave me enough clues to eventually find it. It was located in Payson Canyon, about ~9miles from town (Google Maps). There’s a dirt parking lot just before a tight left hand turn. Tucked inside that turn are the old footings for the rope tow with the lift line going up the hill to the southwest. Main run appears to have curled to the south before heading north back to the base.
The footings are still visible at the base. When I hiked to the top 15 years ago I found old rims and pieces from the tow’s return towers, but some cleanup has been done and I couldn’t find any of that on my most recent trip.
Mantua
Have I Skied It: No, it’s private and I haven’t tracked down the owner.
I’m not sure of the name of this ski tow but I met a woman in college from Mantua and her older neighbors and family members remembered when it was around. This tow was located about 1.5 miles North of the main 600 N intersection in Mantua (Google Maps).
What I believe was the bottom tower for this tow is still standing. It used to have a tire rim attached to it at near the base but that has been removed in recent years. That tower, however, is easily visible from the highway.
Interestingly, in a Deseret News article about lost ski areas a photo of this area was mistakenly labeled as Little Mountain in Emigration Canyon. When you overlay the Google Street View image with the image from that article you can see it’s actually a photo of this tow in Mantua.
Lindsay Hill (Heber City)
Have I Skied It: No, this is now someone’s front yard so still doable…with permission ;)
A short tow used to be operated on Lindsay Hill in Heber City. The base was located on Center Street about 2.3 miles from the main highway through town (Google Maps). The tow was located right next to the road and, the best I can tell, ran mostly south to the crest of Lindsay Hill.
Right around the year 2000 I visited this hill and there was still the old truck, tire rims, and even the drive wheel (two large tires mounted side-by-side to form a groove for the rope to run in) were still around. Those photos got lost somewhere during the last couple decades and the most recent visit showed a few random scraps left where the truck and parts once were.
Beaver Mountain (Logan Canyon)
Have I Skied It: Yes (2026)
While Beaver Mountain still exists, their original location was actually a few miles further up the road in The Sinks. This is a really fun bit of history because so much of the original tow still exists. If you head to the large parking area right before you start dropping down toward Sunrise Campground and then Bear Lake, a short hike up the ridge will put you at the top of the old tow line (Google Maps).
There is the main frame of the top terminal still visible along with a handful of odds and ends scattered around. The line appears to have grown in a little but is still clear enough that you could probably string up another tow without too much work.
Here’s the photo from the bottom of the run when I was able to take a lap in March of 2026.
Grizzly Ridge (Vernal)
Have I Skied It: Yes (2020)
Located in the mountains above Vernal on the way to Flaming Gorge, Grizzly Ridge started with a rope tow in 1960 and later had a T-bar. Today, the area around the base is actually a dispersed camping area in the summer and in winter remains an uphill-only area used by locals (Google Maps).
Here’s a look from the top of the main run looking downhill in the summer of 2026.
And here’s a photo looking up the old lift line on the same day.
I hiked in an snowboarded the trail in 2020. Here’s a view from the bottom of the run where you can see both the run and the old lift line. It’s fun, mellow little slope which does make a little tricky in fresh snow but sill a great time.
Blue Mountain (Monticello)
COMING SOON
I was here around 2015 but didn’t get pictures and haven’t been back since. Hoping to make it soon. At one point the J-bar was still standing according to a foggy memory I have of news coverage around the area a while after it closed, but that seems to no longer be there based on coverage from Snow Brains. That post, however, gives me hope that this is one I can cross off my “
Little Mountain (Salt Lake City)
COMING SOON
This one is a little tricky because the information I’ve found around it often includes a photo that, as I pointed out above, it actually of a ski hill near Mantua. Still trying to nail this one down confidently. I’ve read it was started by the same guy that started Gorgoza, only had tows, and sat somewhere on that saddle-ish area between Parleys and Emigration, but haven’t found visual evidence of the exact location.
Notes & Other
There used to be a couple others on this list. For example:
Elk Meadows (Beaver)
Elk Meadows closed around 2002 (I think) but Shane Gadbaw came in and brought the area back to life with a new model and name; Eagle Point. Fingers crossed he and the team can recover from the fires that heavily damaged the area in 2026.
https://www.eaglepointresort.com/
Gorgoza (Park City)
The old Gorgoza area had two old double chairs standing for years. Now, that area is reopened as Woodward Park City.
https://www.woodwardparkcity.com
Snowland (Fairview)
I rode my bike up Fairview Canyon 16 years ago in search of remanants of this little area, but thanks to an incredible effort by locals this reopened!
I have notes from others (mainly old jumping hills) but in terms of lift served there are others that I haven’t been able to personally track down, so this is all I’ve got for now.