In this guide
The four Cottonwood resorts sit at the top of two dead-end canyon roads, and there is not enough parking at the top for a busy Saturday. Each resort now manages weekends and holidays in its own way. The rules below come from each resort’s own parking page and were checked on October 6, 2026. Dates and prices change, so follow the link before you go.
This season at a glance
| Resort | Reservation needed | 1 to 3 people | 4 or more | Free after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta | Fri to Sun and holidays, 8am to 1pm, Dec 11 to Apr 4 | $25 | $25 | 1pm |
| Snowbird | Not for most lots | Free in first-come lots | Free, with carpool-only spaces for 3 or more | 1pm in reserved lots |
| Brighton | Fri to Sun and holidays, before noon | $25 | $10 | Noon |
| Solitude | Fri to Sun and holidays, before 11am, Dec 18 to Mar 28 | $35 | Free, reservation still required | 11am |
Monday through Thursday outside the holiday periods, day parking is free at all four and needs no reservation, unless you want to park at Alta before 8am.
Alta
Reservations are required Friday through Sunday and during holiday periods from 8am to 1pm, starting December 11 and running through April 4, plus closing day on April 25. The holiday periods are December 18 through January 3, January 18 and February 15. No reservation is needed Monday through Thursday outside those periods, any day after 1pm, before December 11, or from April 5 to April 24.
- A reservation is $25 a day, or $10 if you bought a lift ticket online. Qualifying Alta and Alta-Bird passholders get codes for free reservations.
- Reservations are tied to your license plate. Parking without one is a $150 fine.
- New this season: an account can hold four active reservations at a time. Cancel before 8am on the day if you are not coming. The first no-show is a warning and each one after that costs $100.
- Reservations open in mid-October with a partial release. More are released every Sunday at 3pm for the following weekend or holiday period, and cancellations free up spots daily.
- To park before 8am on any day you need an Early Morning Reservation for the South Flagstaff lot, from 6am: $25 Friday through Sunday and holidays, $15 Monday through Thursday.
- Overnight parking is not allowed in Alta’s lots.
Snowbird
Most parking at Snowbird is free and first come, first served: Entry 1, Wilbere Hill, the Main Lot, the Bypass Road outside the preferred area, and Chickadee Hill and the Superior Lot when conditions allow. Roadside parking on the south side of the highway between Entry 1 and Entry 4 opens on some days; UDOT decides each morning and Snowbird posts it in its mountain report around 7am.
- Carpool-only spaces for three or more people are signed in the Main Lot, Upper Gad Valley Lot, Entry 1 Lot, Lower Chickadee Hill and part of the Superior Lot.
- You can pay to reserve a space in the Lower Gad Valley, Pond or Chickadee lots, or use valet at the Snowbird Center. Snowbird had not posted 2026–27 rates when this was checked. Missed reservations are not refunded.
- New this season: the Upper Gad Valley Lot is reservation only, and Snowbird season passholders get one free rolling reservation there.
- Unused spaces in the reserved, paid and preferred lots open as free parking at 1pm.
- The Preferred Parking Pass for 2026–27 is sold out.
Brighton
Every vehicle arriving before noon needs a reservation on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, daily from December 18 through January 3 except Christmas Day, January 16 through 19, and February 13 through 16.
- On those days it is $25 for a car with one to three people and $10 with four or more. Monday through Thursday is free, and every day is free after noon.
- Qualifying Brighton season passholders park free with a reusable code and can hold two free reservations at a time.
- Weekend reservations are released every Monday at 6pm. More are released the day before at 8am and 2pm.
- A reservation is fully refundable if you cancel before 8am on the day.
- The lots are closed from midnight to 7am for overnight grooming.
Solitude
Day skiers park in the Moonbeam lot at Entry 1, which opens at 7am. From December 18, a reservation is required to park there before 11am on Friday through Sunday and on holidays (December 25 through January 3, January 18 and February 15). The requirement ends on March 29.
- On reservation days it is $35 for a car with one to three people. With four or more it is free, but you still need to book the free reservation.
- Monday through Thursday outside the holidays is free. So is the early season before December 18 and the late season from March 29.
- New this season: Moonbeam is free after 11am every day, with no reservation.
- Some reservations for all dates are released on October 15 at 8am. More are released each Sunday at 6pm for the following weekend, and a few on the day at 6am.
- The Village lot at Entry 2 is for lodging guests and premium parking. A shuttle runs between Moonbeam and the Village from 7am to 6pm.
The traction law
Both canyon roads have stricter winter tire rules than the rest of Utah. When the lights are flashing at the canyon mouths the rules are in force, and UDOT can switch them on up to 24 hours before a storm arrives. Police check vehicles at the bottom: Cottonwood Heights Police for Big Cottonwood and Sandy City Police for Little Cottonwood.
- Every vehicle needs at least 5/32 inch of tread.
- All-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles need tires marked M+S on all four wheels at a minimum. Three-peak mountain snowflake tires, chains or snow socks also qualify.
- Two-wheel drive vehicles need three-peak mountain snowflake tires on all four wheels, or chains or snow socks on at least two drive wheels.
- Several rental car companies take part in a UDOT sticker program for cars that meet the rule. Ask when you book.
UDOT traction law and current road status
The ski bus
UTA runs ski buses up both canyons from park-and-ride lots and TRAX stations in the valley. Last season route 972 served Solitude and Brighton and route 994 served Snowbird and Alta. UTA had not posted its 2026–27 timetable when this was checked; service usually starts in late November or early December and runs into April.
- The fare is $5 each way, or $2 for reduced-fare riders. You can pay with the Transit app, a FAREPAY card or exact cash.
- The bus is included with resort season passes, the Ikon Pass and the Super Pass.
When to drive and when to ride
- Weekend or holiday, no reservation: take the bus, or arrive after the free-after time at Brighton, Solitude or Alta.
- Traction law in force and your car does not meet it: take the bus. You will be turned around at the mouth.
- Four people in the car: Solitude is free and Brighton is $10, but both still need the reservation on weekend mornings.
- Midweek, no storm: drive. There are no reservations to make and parking is free at Brighton and Solitude.
- Storm morning in Little Cottonwood: check UDOT before leaving. The road closes for avalanche work and a reservation does not help until it reopens.