Ever wonder how many lifts there are in the US? How many gondolas? How many trams? Which are the longest? Which are the highest? How many ski areas are there in n the US? How many in each state? Who owns what resorts?
Here are some fun facts about lifts and resorts. These are the most current numbers according to lift aficionado Peter Landsman, publisher of Liftblog.com
Type and Number of Ski Lifts in North America
Gondolas 112
Funitel 1
Aerial tramways 28
High-speed six 74
High-speed quads 435
High-speed triples 2
Fixed-grip six 1
Fixed-grip quads 535
Fixed-grip triples 642
Fixed-grip doubles 827
Fixed-grip singles 3
T-Bars 267
J-Bars 21
Platters 128 
Number of lifts: 3,076
- There are 63 chairlifts in North America that stretch longer than 7,000 feet but only four over 10,000′.
- Six of the top ten are in the State of Colorado and all but two are detachable quads.
- Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops, BC claims the title of the longest fixed-grip chairlift in the world and the only non-detachable among North America’s hundred longest lifts.
- A ride on the Burfield Quad takes a painful 21 minutes to go 9,510 feet (and that’s at full speed.) Below are the top ten longest chairlifts in the US and Canada.
These are the Ten Longest Chairlifts in North America
Slide Brook Express, Sugarbush, VT – 11,012 feet, 1995 Doppelmayr Detachable Quad
Chile Express, Angel Fire Resort, NM – 10,992 feet, 1996 Poma Detachable Quad
Sunshine Express, Telluride, CO – 10,732 feet, 1986 Doppelmayr Detachable Quad
Village Express, Snowmass, CO – 10,074 feet, 2005 Leitner-Poma Detachable Six
American Flyer, Copper Mountain, CO – 9,907 feet, 1986 Poma Detachable Quad
Lodge, The Yellowstone Club, MT – 9,847 feet, 1998 Doppelmayr Detachable Quad
Two Creeks, Snowmass, CO – 9,835 feet, 1995 Poma Detachable Quad
Summit Express, Buttermilk, CO – 9,581 feet, 1993 Poma Detachable Quad
Burfield Quad, Sun Peaks, BC – 9,510 feet, 1997 Doppelmayr Fixed-grip Quad
Summit Express, Keystone, CO – 9,403 feet, 1997 Doppelmayr Detachable Quad
The longest triple chair is the Cyclone at Sunrise Park Resort, AZ – 7,982 feet
The longest double chair is Primo at Sunlight Mountain Resort, CO – 7,260 feet
Source and photos: The liftblog.com
North America’s Highest Chairlifts
Imperial Express Super Chair, Peak 8 at Breckenridge, CO – summit elevation: 12,840 feet. It’s the highest ski resort high-speed quad chairlift in the world.
Chair 9, Loveland, CO summit elevation: 12,700 feet
Lenawee and Zuma lifts, Arapahoe Basin, CO – summit elevation: 12,472 feet
Panoramic Express, Winter Park, CO– summit elevation: 12,060 feet
Source: Claudia Carbone, SkiSnowboard.com
Number of Ski Areas in Each State
Alabama 1 
Alaska 9
Arizona 4
California 29
Colorado 30
Connecticut 5
Idaho 17 
Iowa 4
Illinois 6
Indiana 2
Maine 18
Maryland 1
Massachusetts 13
Michigan 44 
Minnesota 18
Missouri 2
Montana 15
Nevada 4
New Hampshire 26
New Jersey 2
New Mexico 8
New York 51
North Carolina 6
North Dakota 3
Ohio 6
Oregon 11
Pennsylvania 27
Rhode Island 1
South Dakota 3
Tennessee 1
Utah 14
Vermont 24 
Virginia 5
Washington 14
West Virginia 5
Wisconsin 31
Wyoming 10
Total: 470
Source: National Ski Areas Association
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