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10 of the Oldest Ski Lifts Still Operating in North America

Originally posted on Powder | By Matt Lorelli | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 1:36 PM ET

Many of North America's first chairlifts have long been forgotten.

Relegated to trash heaps and repurposed as benches and swings, North America's first chairlifts are relics. Their memory lives only in the photos and early ski movies that have survived the decades.

Record-keeping in skiing, particularly regarding chairlifts, is tricky, for lack of a better term. Conflicting reports, lack of reliable records, and a general absence of information make writing about them challenging.

So, in an attempt to make this article fun and to avoid the hurtful criticisms of the history buffs out there, we'll discuss 10 of the oldest lifts still operating in North America. Note the italicized words of the last sentence. This list is not intended to be a definitive list of the oldest chairlifts.

Rather, it's intended to be a fun summer read about 10 old chairlifts and surface lifts that are still spinning today. Enjoy.

This piece is part of POWDER's Summer of Ski Nostalgia content series. Stay tuned in daily for more nostalgic articles, and keep an eye out for the upcoming Summer of Ski Nostalgia badge to identify future content.

You can also view all of POWDER's summer nostalgia content here.

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Festival, Powder Ridge, CT (1964)

Most Connecticut skiers travel out of state for their winter thrills, but the Nutmeg State has a handful of ski areas to satisfy gravity-fueled desires.

Of the state's few ski areas, Powder Ridge is the most accessible from New Haven just 30-minutes down the road. Among the various things that give this small ski area charm, Powder Ridge is still sporting a 1964 Hall Double with wooden seats, called Festival. The lift is also used in the summer for sightseeing and mountain biking.

Festival gets its name from the cancelled 1970 Powder Ridge Rock Festival. Marketed as a followup to 69's Woodstock Festival, thousands of spectators showed up to see musical acts like Fleetwood Mac, Van Morrison, and Janis Joplin. The festival was cancelled just days before it was slated to start. Protestors and angry would-be-festival-goers showed up to Powder Ridge and trashed the place.

Festival is still spinning today.

Route 66, Blue Knob, PA (1963)

Not to be confused with the popular Blue Mountain, Blue Knob is Pennsylvania's definitive hidden gem ski resort.

With a vertical drop greater than 1,000 feet, a dozen glades and off-piste terrain, and plenty of annual snowfall to keep things fresh, Blue Knob is a sleeping giant tucked away in the Pennsylvania countryside.

Route 66 serves as one of the main lifts that spans Blue Knob's complete vertical. Hop on and get ready for a blast from the past.

Seventh Heaven, Stevens Pass, WA (1960)

Known for being one of the steepest chairlifts in the country, Seventh Heaven is about as special as they come.

The lift offers a short ascent, but the powder-filled and tree-lined terrain on Cowboy Mountain features some of the best in-bounds riding you can do in the PNW.

To make this lift feel even more special, it's one of the few center-pole Riblets still running in the United States. Cozy up next to your ski partner and hold on tight. There's no safety bar on this gem.

East T, Snowriver, MI (1959)

Fancy new chairlifts, name changes, and plans for expansion are great, but there's something special about a reliable T-bar.

Snowriver, which used to be Blackjack & Indianhead Mountains, still utilizes the East T on the Jackson Creek side of the resort. Give it a spin if you want to sample one of the region's oldest lifts still in operation.

Bateau T-Bar, Sugarloaf, ME (1956)

Sugarloaf is home to one of the most impressive lift networks on the entire East Coast, but the Bateau T-Bar has stood the test of time.

A Sugarloaf employee tells me that while Bateau doesn't operate on a daily basis, it serves as a reliable backup when higher elevation lifts can't operate due to wind. Play your cards right and you could spin a lap or two on this T-bar from the past.

Vista Cruiser/Chair 1, Mt. Spokane, WA (1956)

Mt. Spokane isn't a large ski resort by western standards, and that's what makes it special. Rather than spending millions of dollars to upgrade its lifts, Mt. Spokane is still using a center pole Riblet double that elicits nostalgia with each creak of the bullwheel.

PNW ski areas tend to hold onto the past better than others. Take a ride on Chair 1/Vista Cruiser before it's too late. There's no telling how long this aging beauty will last.

Single Chair, Mad River Glen, VT (1948/2006)

Mad River Glen's Single Chair is easily the most famous chairlift on this entire list.

Originally built in 1948, Mad River Glen's co-op ownership group made an expensive decision to renovate the lift in 2006 rather than replace it with a modern double or large chairlift.

The legend of the Single Chair lives on. It's still the only way to reach the summit of General Stark Mountain, and that won't change anytime soon.

Hemlock Chair, Boyne Mountain, MI (1936/1949)

The Hemlock Chair was constructed using parts from one of the original chairlifts built at Sun Valley, Idaho in 1936. The chair was installed at Boyne Mountain in 1949, marking the first chairlift constructed in the state of Michigan.

Originally a single chair, the Hemlock was upgraded to a double in 1960. It has served as a reliable source of uphill transportation during the summer and winter since.

Single Chair, Mt. Eyak, AK (1936/1972)

Mt. Eyak is a small and sleepy non-profit ski area that rises above the town of Cordova, Alaska. Opened in 1972, the ski area uses one of the original single chairs constructed at Sun Valley, Idaho in 1936.

The chair rises 800 vertical feet and serves 30 trails. It is one of two single chairs still operating in North America. The other, located at Mad River Glen, is the more popular of the two.

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J-Bar, Black Mountain, NH (1935)

Black Mountain has expanded its terrain since the early days, but its original ski lift is still standing and operating on occasion.

Known simply as J-Bar, the lift serves a small beginner's hill and doesn't operate on a daily basis. With that said, J-Bar is undoubtedly the oldest ski lift still operating in North America. If you want the purest blast from the past, start here.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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