Ski Trails Are Finally Back on Google Maps After a Hiatus. Here's Why.

After a hiatus, ski resorts have returned to Google Maps.

The feature, which first disappeared in October 2024, includes trails, lodges, and ski lifts, pairing Google’s vast mapping data with the kinds of things skiers look for when scoping trips. Its absence sparked a minor outcry on social media, with at least one person petitioning Google to bring the mountain maps back. 

A handful of supporters who signed the petition noted that they used Google Maps to plan prospective ski trips. The ski trails and lifts, alongside the app’s broader features, helped them determine where they wanted to stay in relation to a ski resort, they wrote. The petition reached almost 3,000 signatures.

At the time, Google said in a statement that it removed the feature because many people were relying on ski resort trail maps instead. 

Now, the company’s changed course, resurrecting the feature.

“We heard from many people who missed having ski information on Google Maps, so we’re bringing ski lifts and trails back this winter,” a Google spokesperson told POWDER in an email when asked about the reasoning behind the comeback. “You’ll see up-to-date ski information starting with popular resorts across North America and Europe.”

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In returning ski trails to its interface, Google updated its data from new imagery and ski resort map information. 

The currently supported resorts, based on a short review of Google Maps, include Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia; Park City Mountain, Utah; and Palisades Tahoe, California, among others. 

There are some absences, though. Red Mountain Resort, British Columbia, is still without ski data, for instance. So is Hoodoo Ski Area, Oregon, a smaller, lesser-known mountain. Some of the new lifts opening at Deer Valley, Utah, this winter also don’t appear on Google Maps yet.

Beyond Google Maps, there are a slew of mapping tools resort and backcountry skiers can try, including Rakkup, Gaia GPS, OnX Backcountry, and Caltopo.

Ski resorts themselves are also debuting new digital mapping tools. Sundance Mountain Resort, Utah, for instance, now has a realistic, three-dimensional trail map you can view online.