Loon Planning 10-Passenger Replacement For Gondola
The only remaining 4-passenger gondola in the Northeast is finally slated for replacement.
One of the most maligned ski lifts in the Northeast is finally slated for replacement. Loon Mountain has submitted plans to replace its current four-passenger gondola with a ten-passenger D-Line gondola over the summer of 2027, which would put the new lift on track to debut for the 2027-28 ski season. The new gondola will follow a similar alignment to the existing lift, although the base terminal will move slightly uphill to bring it out of the Octagon Lodge.
The project marks another major investment from Loon’s parent company, Boyne Resorts, which has been on a significant lift-building spree in recent years. In the Northeast alone, Boyne has installed two major new lifts at Sunday River, along with Loon’s own Kancamagus 8, an eight-passenger bubble lift. Across the country, Big Sky has seen a major overhaul of its lift fleet, with multiple bubble lifts, a new tram, and a new ten-passenger gondola all debuting within the past several years. Even Boyne’s Midwest properties have seen meaningful upgrades, with the Highlands adding the Midwest’s first modern bubble lift and Boyne Mountain installing the Disciples 8 eight-pack within the last five years.
When it’s replaced in the near future, the new Loon Gondola will bring a capacity upgrade, although it will still have a significantly lower throughput than most other 10-passenger gondolas.
Our Take
Loon’s outgoing White Mountain Gondola has long been one of the most maligned lifts in the Northeast. The replacement should be a major improvement not only for uphill capacity, but also for the overall guest experience. The current four-person cabins are cramped to the point that riding them can feel almost coffin-like, especially when fully loaded.
That said, guests should not necessarily expect lift lines to disappear. The new gondola is not expected to run at the same capacity as a typical ten-person gondola, since the cabins will reportedly be spaced farther apart due to the limited trail capacity off Loon’s summit. Still, any increase in comfort and uphill capacity is long overdue for one of New Hampshire’s busiest mountains, and this should be a meaningful upgrade for Loon’s flagship lift when it opens for the 2027-28 season.
Interested in seeing how Loon stacks up in our rankings? Check out our comprehensive Loon mountain review and East Coast rankings.
