Sunrise Expansion

380 Acres of Exciting, Backcountry-Style Terrain

Tucked away in a quiet nook on Bald Mountain’s southern flank, a hidden wonderland of skier’s delight awaits. Glide peacefully down a sun-drenched bowl. Dance through perfectly-spaced trees. Fly down steep chutes. Increasing Bald Mountain’s lift serviced terrain by nearly 20%, Sunrise is the first major terrain expansion on Baldy in over two decades.

The expansion, which officially opened in early February 2021 and adds 380 acres of exciting new terrain, opens up some of Baldy’s best and most challenging terrain, including a wide-open bowl and extensive tree skiing. The expansion also includes the extension of the gradually-pitched and oh-so-smooth Lower Broadway run.

Completed in the fall of 2020, our new high-speed detachable Broadway lift has replaced Cold Springs, which was the resort’s oldest chairlift. The new lift, rising 1,582 vertical feet in just over a mile, provides a seamless transition from the base of Lower Broadway run and the Roundhouse restaurant, the top of the Roundhouse Express gondola, and the bottom of Christmas chairlift.

Accessed via Seattle Ridge, the Sunrise zone has long been known by tight-lipped Sun Valley locals for its secret powder stashes, challenging rock drops, steep chutes, and epic corn skiing, and the expanded lift access to this area further establishes Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain as a must-visit destination for every passionate skier and rider.

Overview of Sunrise Terrain Expansion

Overview

The ski area within a ski area. A special place to glide down a wide-open bowl, navigate through trees, and descend steep chutes. Sunrise has increased Sun Valley Resort's skiable acreage by over 380 acres.

This project involved replacing the resort’s oldest chairlift, Cold Springs, with a new high-speed detachable quad lift called Broadway, which now provides a seamless transition to the Roundhouse restaurant, the Roundhouse Express gondola, and Christmas chairlift. For those who prefer groomers and gradual pitches, the Lower Broadway run has been extended to reach the new chairlift and is lined with 25 new high-efficiency snowmaking guns.

Work began in 2018 with the rerouting and redevelopment of the Cold Springs mountain bike trail, grading of the Lower Broadway run, tree removal, and excavation work. The project continued in summer 2019 with new snowmaking guns placed along the extended Lower Broadway run, glading of heavily-treed areas, and other terrain enhancements. The installation of utilities and the new Broadway chairlift took place during summer of 2020.

Location

The location is in both USFS and BLM areas.
The project is completely within the current Sun Valley Ski Area Special Use Permit.
Click here to view our winter trail map.

Highlights

Replacement of the Cold Springs (#4) Chairlift

The main purpose of the project was the replacement of the Cold Springs chairlift, which was the oldest lift still operating at the resort.

The new Broadway chairlift is a high-speed detachable quad that has a vertical rise of 1,582 feet and a total length of 5,535 feet.
It provides a seamless ride from the new lower lift terminal to the Roundhouse.
Lower Broadway run has been extended by 4,200 feet.

Increased Skiable Terrain

Skiable acreage within the Sun Valley Resort boundary has increased from 2,054 acres to 2,434 acres thanks to the new Sunrise zone.
Sunrise is accessed from the top of Seattle Ridge, where skiers and riders may descend into Sunrise Bowl, then proceed north for access to extensive tree skiing.

Increased Snowmaking