In this guide
Little Cottonwood and Big Cottonwood are neighboring canyons whose mouths are about four miles apart on Wasatch Boulevard. Little Cottonwood (LCC) has Alta and Snowbird. Big Cottonwood (BCC) has Brighton and Solitude. They catch the same storms and give you very different days.
By the numbers
| Resort | Canyon | Average snowfall | Vertical | Peak | Beginner terrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta | LCC | 546″ | 2,538 ft | 11,068 ft | 15% |
| Snowbird | LCC | 500″ | 3,240 ft | 11,000 ft | 8% |
| Brighton | BCC | 500″ | 1,745 ft | 10,500 ft | 22% |
| Solitude | BCC | 500″ | 2,494 ft | 10,488 ft | 6% |
Figures are the ones each resort reports through Ski Utah.
What Little Cottonwood is like
Steeper and bigger. Snowbird has the most vertical of the four and two thirds of its terrain is rated advanced; at Alta it is just over half. Alta is for skiers only, with no snowboarding. The two resorts connect through gates on the ridge between them, on a combined Alta-Bird ticket or pass.
The cost is the road. The highway up Little Cottonwood crosses a long series of avalanche paths, and UDOT closes it for control work during and after storms, sometimes for hours. On the mornings with the most new snow, the canyon is the most likely to open late.
What Big Cottonwood is like
Gentler and easier to manage. Brighton has the most beginner terrain of the four and night skiing Monday through Saturday until 9pm. Solitude has less beginner terrain but a lot of intermediate skiing, plus Honeycomb Canyon for advanced skiers. The two connect by the SolBright trail when there is enough snow.
Big Cottonwood’s road closes for avalanche work less often than Little Cottonwood’s. When Little Cottonwood is closed, the traffic comes here.
Parking differs too
- Alta: reservation required Friday through Sunday and holidays, 8am to 1pm.
- Snowbird: mostly free and first come, with optional paid reserved lots.
- Brighton: reservation required before noon Friday through Sunday and holidays; $25, or $10 with four or more.
- Solitude: reservation required before 11am Friday through Sunday and holidays; $35, or free with four or more.
The details and this season’s dates are in the parking, traction law and ski bus guide.
How to choose
- Beginners or a mixed group: Big Cottonwood, and Brighton first.
- Snowboarders: anywhere but Alta.
- A big overnight storm: Little Cottonwood has the terrain for it, if the road is open and your car meets the traction law. If UDOT has the canyon closed with no reopening time, go to Big Cottonwood early, because everyone else will too.
- A weekend without a parking reservation: Snowbird’s free lots if you are early, or the bus to any of the four.
- After work: Brighton, which runs lifts until 9pm Monday through Saturday.
- Strong skiers on a clear day after a storm: Little Cottonwood. North-facing terrain there keeps snow cold.
Check before you leave
Two things decide the morning: whether the roads are open, and what fell overnight. UDOT’s Cottonwood Canyons page has road status and the traction law. The daily report has the snow, the forecast and the road status in one place.