Google Maps listens: Beloved ski trails and lifts feature returns for winter season

In the past, skiers and snowboarders could turn to Google Maps to check on ski trails, lifts, and lodges. It was a handy tool that helped many plan their winter trips. However, this feature disappeared from the Maps app in 2024. Now Google has brought it back just in time for your next ski run.

As a quick refresher, ski trails, lifts, and lodges began showing up on Google Maps as an experiment in 2013. However, that data became outdated and inaccurate over time. The feature was eventually removed from Maps in October 2024. In a statement, Google said it had removed the feature, finding that people preferred to “use maps directly from the individual ski resorts, since they’re seen as the most authoritative source of this information.”

It appears that the tech giant has now reversed course on that decision. “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. “You’ll see up-to-date ski information starting with popular resorts across North America and Europe.”

Not only are ski trails, lifts, and resorts back, but Google says the data has been updated. That means these maps should be more accurate now than they were before the feature was removed.

At the moment, it appears the feature supports several resorts, including Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia; Park City Mountain, Utah; and Palisades Tahoe, California. However, the publication notes that some are still missing, like Red Mountain Resort, British Columbia, and Hoodoo Ski Area, Oregon.