In this guide
Solitude is partway up Big Cottonwood Canyon, a couple of miles below Brighton. It has 2,494 feet of vertical, a lot of intermediate terrain, and Honeycomb Canyon, a long gated canyon off the back that skis like a different mountain. It is often the quietest of the four Cottonwood resorts.
By the numbers
| Average snowfall | 500″ |
| Vertical | 2,494 ft |
| Base and peak | 7,994 ft and 10,488 ft |
| Skiable acres | 1,200 |
| Runs | 82 |
| Terrain | 6% beginner, 43% intermediate, 51% advanced |
| Lifts | 8 |
Figures are Solitude’s, as reported through Ski Utah.
Who it suits
Intermediates most of all, and advanced skiers who want Honeycomb Canyon. Mixed groups do well here because the easier and harder terrain start from the same places. The beginner area is small, at 6 percent of the terrain, so for a first day on skis Brighton is the better choice up the road. There is no night skiing.
How the mountain is laid out
There are two base areas. Day skiers park at Moonbeam, the lower one. The Village, a short shuttle ride up the road, has the lodging.
- From Moonbeam: the Link lift serves the beginner slope, and Moonbeam Express and Eagle Express serve most of the groomed intermediate skiing.
- From the Village: Apex Express serves the middle of the mountain, with Sunrise for easier runs and Powderhorn for steeper ones.
- Summit Express goes to the top of the lift-served terrain and to the gate into Honeycomb Canyon.
- Honeycomb Canyon runs down the back of the resort. It is ungroomed and opens only after patrol has finished avalanche work. The Honeycomb Return lift at the bottom brings you back to the front side.
Solitude connects to Brighton by the SolBright trail when there is enough snow.
A first three days
Day one: Moonbeam and Eagle. Start on Moonbeam Express, then move to Eagle Express for longer groomed runs. This is the easiest part of the mountain to read and the best place to find out how the snow is skiing.
Day two: the Village side. Ride Apex Express, then Powderhorn if you want something steeper. Take one trip up Summit Express in good light to see how the top connects.
Day three: Honeycomb. Go when patrol has it open and your legs are fresh. It is long, the snow changes as you descend, and the way out is a flat run to the return lift. Ask patrol at the top which line and which exit they recommend that day.
Mistakes to avoid
- Starting at the top. Summit Express on a cold first run is a hard way to begin. Work up the mountain.
- Treating Honeycomb as one more run. Budget an hour for a lap and go with someone the first time.
- Losing track of which base you parked at. The two are not next to each other. Finish your day on lifts that lead back to your car.
- Skiing to Brighton late in the day. SolBright is a traverse and it closes. Leave time to get back.
Parking this season
Day skiers use the Moonbeam lot, which opens at 7am. From December 18, a reservation is required to park before 11am on Friday through Sunday and on holidays. On those mornings it is $35 for a car with one to three people and free with four or more, though the free reservation is still required. Monday through Thursday is free. New this season, parking is free after 11am every day with no reservation.
Holiday dates and release times are in the parking, traction law and ski bus guide. Solitude’s own page is here.
Getting there
Solitude is on the Big Cottonwood road, which closes for avalanche work less often than Little Cottonwood’s. The traction law applies in the same way, so check UDOT before you leave. The UTA ski bus stops at Solitude and is free for Solitude and Ikon passholders.
Brighton is the neighbor; see the Brighton guide. For the choice between canyons, see LCC vs BCC.
Checked October 2026 against Solitude’s own pages and Ski Utah’s resort statistics.