The Top 5 Longest Ski Lifts in the United States

#5 Heavenly Gondola — 12,149 feet

Located in the stunning ski resort town of South Lake Tahoe, CA, the Heavenly Gondola comes in as the fifth longest ski lift in the United States. The 2.3-mile ride up Heavenly Mountain will leave you breathless as you take in a bird’s-eye view of the impossibly blue Lake Tahoe and the surrounding landscape.

The gondola lift is run by Heavenly Resort. and seats up to eight passengers. It travels more than two miles in 11 minutes and 45 seconds, or 1,200 feet per minute. One of the fastest lifts in North America, the resort’s 138 cabins can transport 2,800 passengers per hour. Heavenly Gondola’s top station is located at 9,156-foot elevation. Heavenly Mountain has a base altitude of 6,255 feet and a peak altitude of 10,067 feet.

#4 Jackson Hole Aerial Tram — 12,463 feet

Rated the number one ski resort in North America by Forbes Magazine, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort hosts skiers and snowboarders from all over the world eager to get a taste of the area’s famous “cowboy powder.”

The Jackson Hole Ariel Tram holds 100 riders and travels 2.36 miles to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain in nine minutes. The tram cost $32 million and has the longest continual vertical rise of any lift in the United States at 4,139 vertical feet.

#3 Silver Queen Gondola — 13,216 feet

The Silver Queen Gondola links the town of Aspen, CO, with the top of Aspen Mountain. Once on the mountain, the drop-off point gives skiers and snowboarders easy access to more than 75 trails. Aspen Mountain Snow Resort runs the 2.5-mile-long lift. The gondola takes about 14 minutes to reach the summit, rising 2,267 feet.

The gondola is a popular attraction in Aspen for more than just snowboarders and skiers. The resort offers guided snowshoe tours, hiking opportunities and yoga in the summer, and a restaurant open year-round. The mountain also has one of the highest disc golf courses in the world. Visitors can only access these activities at the top of the mountain after a ride on the Silver Queen Gondola.

The lift starts at the gondola plaza in Aspen at an elevation of 7,945 feet and climbs to the Sundeck at 11,212 feet. At 13,216 feet long, the Silver Queen Gondola is the third longest ski lift in the United States.

#2 Silver Mountain Gondola — 16,350 feet

Until December 2023, Silver Mountain Gondola was the longest ski lift in the United States. The gondola takes riders on a 3.1-mile-long journey of 3,400 vertical feet. Starting from the village of Kellogg, ID, at an elevation of 2,300 feet at the base of Silver Mountain, the gondola drops riders off at the Mountain Haus terminal on Kellogg Peak at an elevation of 5,700 feet.

Silver Mountain offers 1,600 acres of skiable terrain with access to 73 trails. Along with the gondola, Silver Mountain Resort also boasts five chairlifts and a 700-foot magic carpet. Each of Silver Mountain Gondola’s cars seats up to eight people. The ride from base to summit takes 19 minutes. This is definitely a ride to relax and enjoy the scenery.

#1 Wild Blue Gondola — 16,684 feet

When Wild Blue Gondola opened in December 2023 at the Steamboat Resort in Steamboat Springs, CO, it became the longest ski lift in the United States. Called an “engineering marvel,” Wild Blue is also the fastest 10-passenger gondola in North America. The lift travels a distance of 3.16 miles and 3,371 vertical feet in just 13 minutes.

Starting from Steamboat Square at Steamboat Ski Resort, Wild Blue transports skiers to the top of the 10,384-foot Sunshine Peak. Engineers designed a mid-station stop at Greenhorn Ranch so that the lower portion of the lift can continue to operate independently if the upper portion of the mountain gets hit with high winds.

Wild Blue “holds 171 cabins while running at seven meters [23 feet] per second in section two. It features the single largest direct drive in the world, as well as the largest diameter haul rope in North America,” reports Vail Daily. “A heavier haul rope means better resistance against strong winds. The price tag on the Wild Blue Gondola all together is in the double-digit millions.”

North America’s newest gondola is also the longest and fastest ski lift in the United States. It looks like Wild Blue satisfies both our restless riders seeking the quickest route to the top as well as those looking to enjoy a smooth ride as they coast thousands of feet above a winter wonderland.