In this guide
Alta is at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon. It is for skiers only, with no snowboarding, and it averages more snow than any other resort near Salt Lake. Just over half the terrain is rated advanced, and much of the best of it is reached by traverse rather than straight off a lift. That is what makes a first visit confusing, and what this guide is for.
By the numbers
| Average snowfall | 546″ |
| Vertical | 2,538 ft |
| Base and peak | 8,530 ft and 11,068 ft |
| Skiable acres | 2,614 |
| Runs | 118 |
| Terrain | 15% beginner, 31% intermediate, 53% advanced |
| Chairlifts | Collins, Wildcat, Sugarloaf, Supreme, Sunnyside |
| First chair | 9:15am |
Figures are Alta’s, as reported through Ski Utah and its own lift status page.
Who it suits
Strong intermediates who want to get better, advanced skiers, and anyone who cares more about snow than about a village. It is a hard place for a first day on skis. Only 15 percent of the terrain is beginner, and Brighton does that job better. If someone in your group snowboards, go next door to Snowbird.
How the mountain is laid out
There are two base areas a short distance apart, and where you park decides your morning.
- Albion base is the gentler end. The Sunnyside lift serves the beginner terrain, including the long green run Crooked Mile, and leads on to Sugarloaf and Supreme.
- Wildcat base is the steeper end. Collins and Wildcat leave from here. Collins is the main lift up the front of the mountain.
- Sugarloaf has much of the intermediate skiing, Devil’s Elbow among it, and the gate to Snowbird at Sugarloaf Pass.
- Supreme is at the far end, with Catherine’s Area and Supreme Bowl beyond the lift.
The well-known terrain is off the marked runs: Ballroom, the High Traverse and the Backside from Collins, Devil’s Castle and the East Baldy Traverse from Sugarloaf, Catherine’s Area from Supreme. Ski patrol opens these one at a time after avalanche work, often hours after the lifts start. Alta lists each one as open or closed on its lift and terrain status page. Check it on the chair and you will know where to go next.
A first three days
Day one: Albion side. Park at Albion. Warm up on Sunnyside, then move to Sugarloaf and stay on the groomed blues until you know how the snow feels and how your legs feel at 10,000 feet. Learn where the two bases are in relation to each other before you wander.
Day two: Collins. Start at Wildcat base and ride Collins. Ski the main groomed route down first. If Ballroom is open and you can see, it is the gentlest introduction to Alta’s off-piste terrain: a wide bowl reached by a short traverse from the top of Collins.
Day three: follow the openings. By now the map makes sense. Watch the terrain status page and go where patrol has just opened something. Supreme and Catherine’s Area are worth the trip to the far end. Leave the High Traverse until you are comfortable holding speed on a narrow, bumpy track with people behind you.
Mistakes to avoid
- Following a traverse without knowing where it ends. Traverses at Alta lead to steep terrain. Know what is below before you commit.
- Riding Collins first on day one. It is the steeper side. An hour at Albion costs nothing.
- Chasing famous names in bad light. When you can’t see, stay on groomed runs and in the trees.
- Arriving on a weekend without a parking reservation. See below.
Parking this season
Alta requires a parking reservation Friday through Sunday and during holiday periods, 8am to 1pm, from December 11 through April 4. It costs $25, or $10 if you bought a lift ticket online, and is free for qualifying Alta and Alta-Bird passholders. Parking without one is a $150 fine. Monday through Thursday outside the holidays, and any day after 1pm, no reservation is needed.
Full details, release times and the other three resorts are in the parking, traction law and ski bus guide. Alta’s own page is here.
Getting there
Alta is at the end of the Little Cottonwood road, past Snowbird. The road closes for avalanche control more than any other near Salt Lake, usually on the mornings with the most new snow, so check UDOT before you leave. The UTA ski bus runs up the canyon to Alta and is included with resort season passes and the Ikon Pass.
For how Alta compares with the other canyon, see LCC vs BCC.
Checked October 2026 against Alta’s lift, terrain and parking pages and Ski Utah’s resort statistics.