Little Cottonwood Canyon
Ski Utah · Top of Little Cottonwood Canyon
Alta Ski Area
A skiers-only mountain at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon with deep, dry snow, steep chutes and a ticket office that still feels like 1970. Snowboards are not allowed.
Photo: Baileypalblue · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Alta has been running lifts since 1938, and it has never chased trends. There is no gondola village, no snowboarders and very little nightlife. What it has is snow: storms stall against the head of Little Cottonwood Canyon and drop some of the lightest, deepest powder in North America, often more than 500 inches in a season. Long traverses lead off the High Rustler and Supreme lifts into gladed bowls and chutes that hold soft snow for days after a storm.
The resort has two base areas, Wildcat and Albion, joined by a rope tow along the flat. Albion is the gentle side, with wide green and blue runs that make Alta better for families than its reputation suggests. Most of the lodging is a handful of old ski lodges on the slope, and many include breakfast and dinner, which matters when the canyon road closes for avalanche control.
Alta shares a ridgeline with Snowbird, and the Alta-Bird pass and ticket let you ski both on one ticket through Mineral Basin. Snowboarders can ride Snowbird but must stay off the Alta side.
Known for
- Skiers only, no snowboards
- Legendary powder days
- High Rustler and the Supreme chutes
- Old-school slopeside lodges
- Alta-Bird connection with Snowbird
Good to know
- Weekend and holiday parking at Alta requires a paid reservation, released in batches on Alta’s site; without one you risk a ticket. On weekdays arrive early or ride the bus.
- UTA ski buses run up Little Cottonwood Canyon from the valley park-and-ride lots and are free with many Cottonwood season passes and the Ikon Pass. Check rideuta.com for the current routes.
- From October through April, UDOT can enforce traction-device rules on SR-210: you need four-wheel or all-wheel drive with snow-rated tires, or chains. Rental-car summer tires are not enough.
- During heavy storms the Town of Alta can declare Interlodge, which keeps everyone indoors while crews do avalanche control. If you are staying up top, plan for it and bring a book.
- The road between Alta and the valley closes for avalanche work on big mornings. Watch UDOT Cottonwood Canyons and Alta’s road updates before you leave.