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
Plan your visit: access, parking and practical details
Check the operator’s current fees, reservations, parking, transit, restrooms and accessibility arrangements before leaving. Confirm specific mobility or sensory needs directly with the venue.
Official visitor information ↗Snow report
Snow observations, snowfall history and forecasts are separate sections. Check the snow report’s own update time.
How to read a snow report
- 24-hour / 48-hour snowfall
- New snow over the stated reporting window. The 48-hour total includes the 24-hour window; don’t add them together.
- Base depth
- Snow on the ground at the resort’s reporting location, which can differ from conditions elsewhere on the mountain.
- Season snowfall
- Snow accumulated over the season’s reporting period, rather than the depth currently on the ground.
- Forecast
- A prediction of future snow, separate from measured snowfall. Snowfall alone does not establish which lifts or trails are open.
Use the source’s update date and time zone, especially around overnight storms. Off-season or stale reports may retain old readings. A missing or undated report does not mean no snow.
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. High Rustler, the steep run that looms over the Collins and Wildcat lifts, is the classic test, and long traverses lead to 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 mitigation.
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.
Maps and mountain orientation
Alta and Snowbird are separate ski areas. Use the Alta map for its base areas and lifts; crossing between resorts depends on an eligible ticket and the connection operating. Alta remains skiers only.
Official resort maps
Find this resort on the Utah and Wasatch locator maps →
Choose your arrival plan
For 2026–27, Alta’s main-lot reservations apply Friday–Sunday and holiday periods from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., beginning December 11. Early-morning parking before 8 a.m. uses a separate reservation. Choose Wildcat or Albion for the day’s plan.
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
- For 2026–27, Alta requires parking reservations Friday through Sunday and on holiday periods, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Book on Alta’s parking page. On other days 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 mitigation. 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.