Alta Ski Area

There are precious few places in the world like Alta. The resort and its small base town grew organically around a united love of thrills on snow. Despite welcome upgrades, including higher-speed lifts and digital lift passes, Alta remains proudly rooted in its past, an icon of a time when skiing was less of a business and more of a way of life, an era of wooden skis and daredevil explorers in woolen gear who practically invented the sport.

The resort is one of America’s oldest and is home to some of Salt Lake’s most spectacular terrain, much of which can only be accessed by backcountry experts willing to hike for it. And the lift-accessed stuff is often steep and challenging. It will push the beginning skier, but the payoff is worth it. And new this year, two SunKid covered conveyers were installed for beginner skiers. For those who learn to turn at Alta, the saying goes, “If you can ski here, you can ski anywhere.”

Parking & Transportation

Parking

Paid parking reservations of $25 per vehicle will be required for all skiers Friday - Sunday and holidays from 8 am to 1 pm. Daily early morning (before 8 am) also requires a reservation. Mid-week parking after 8 am is on a first-come, first-served basis (excluding holiday periods). Get complete parking details and make a reservation

Transportation

There are a variety of options to make your way from the city to Alta's slopes. If you are driving, make sure your vehicle is ready to meet the traction law requirements and that you are ready to drive in winter conditions. If you don't want to deal with winter driving and finding a parking space UTA's Ski Bus provides public transportation daily during the ski season.

Road Conditions

Before you head up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta Ski Resort, check out the resources from Utah Department of Transportation for road conditions, live traffic cameras, travel tips, vehicle requirements, and winter driving tips. UDOT has plenty of experience dealing with the mountains of snow and snow in the mountains, but you can do your part to help by being an informed driver. Get live canyon updates and information on:

 @UDOTCottonwoods   @UDOTCottonwoods   @UDOTCottonwoods

Opening and Closing Hours

The Skier Services office is open daily from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Lifts start turning at 9:15 am and shut down between 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm. Alta's parking lot is closed from midnight to 7:30 am. If you're looking for on-mountain dining options, most are open from 9:30 am to 4 pm, with restaurants and bars at the base open into the evening. See Alta's dining page for complete details on what is open and specific hours.

Does Alta allow snowboarding?

Snowboarding is not permitted at Alta Ski Area. But, that doesn't mean there aren't great opportunities to ride in Little Cottonwood Canyon, check out Snowbird for great snowboarding. Or, head to Big Cottonwood Canyon where you can snowboard at both Solitude Mountain Resort and Brighton Resort.

On Mountain Lodging: Hotels at Alta

While the Alta Ski Area resort does not operate any accommodations, the mountain town of Alta has a unique collection of lodges, hotels, and vacation homes with ski-in/ski-out access. 

On Mountain Dining: Restaurants & Bars at Alta

From fueling up to start out the day right to re-fueling to keep those epic ski runs going, to celebrating après-ski, Alta has exactly what you need on the mountain and at the base. Check out these great options and find a complete list on Alta's Food and Drink