Each of the four resorts up Big and Little Cottonwood canyons now ends its paid, reserved parking at a different hour. At Solitude's Moonbeam lot, parking is free every day after 11 a.m. this season, which is a new rule for 2026–27. Brighton is free after noon. Alta stops requiring reservations at 1 p.m. Snowbird keeps most of its lots free and first-come, first-served.
So from Cottonwood Heights, the hour you leave home matters more this winter than which resort you choose. The calendar has its own version of this. Between opening day and mid-December there's a stretch when the reservation systems aren't running yet and the ski buses haven't started. Neighbors ten minutes from the canyon mouths can make use of these windows in a way that visitors coming from the airport can't.
Opening day comes before the rules do
The season begins in pieces. Here is how the next eight weeks line up, with every opening date conditions permitting:
- Friday, Nov. 20. Alta and Solitude both plan to open.
- Friday, Nov. 27. Snowbird's tentative opening, the day after Thanksgiving.
- Sunday, Dec. 6. UTA plans to start seasonal canyon service.
- Friday, Dec. 11. Alta's weekend and holiday reservations begin.
- Friday, Dec. 18. Solitude's Moonbeam reservations begin.
Brighton hasn't set an opening day. Its help page said so on Aug. 30, and Visit Salt Lake's 2026–27 season guide still listed it as TBD on Oct. 14.
From opening day through Dec. 10, Alta needs no reservation on any day. Solitude's rate table lists the early season, opening day to Dec. 18, as free for every carload. That's three weekends at Alta and four at Solitude without a booking system. There's a catch, though. Those weekends come before the buses start, so for the first two the only way up is your own car.
The first few weeks are also when the new construction is easiest to see. Snowbird replaced its Chickadee lift with a fixed-grip quad and regraded the beginner terrain around it. Alta expanded its Albion Day Lodge with 3,400 square feet of added dining space and a snow-level lounge with a fireplace. Brighton is in its 90th season and is turning Milly Chalet into a quick-service Mexican spot.
Weekend mornings now end at three different hours
Once reservations are running, the rules on Fridays through Sundays and holidays look like this:
| Resort | Reservation window | Cars with 1–3 people | Cars with 4+ people | Free after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solitude, Moonbeam lot | Before 11 a.m., Dec. 18–Mar. 28 | $35 | Free, reservation required | 11 a.m. |
| Brighton | Before noon | $25 | $10 | Noon |
| Alta | 8 a.m.–1 p.m., Dec. 11–Apr. 4, plus closing day | $25, or $10 with an online lift ticket | Same rates | 1 p.m. |
| Snowbird | Paid reservations optional in select lots | Varies by date and lot | Carpool-only spots for 3+ | Most lots free all day |
On non-holiday Monday through Thursday, Solitude and Brighton are free. Alta needs no reservation on those days either. Qualifying Alta and Alta-Bird passholders book their Alta reservations free. At Snowbird, qualifying season passholders get something new: one free rolling reservation in the Upper Gad Valley Lot.
The holiday calendars don't line up, and that trips people up in late December. Alta treats Dec. 18 through Jan. 3, Jan. 18 and Feb. 15 as holiday periods. Brighton uses Dec. 18 through Jan. 3 but leaves out Christmas Day, then Jan. 16–19 and Feb. 13–16. Solitude's footnote marks Dec. 25 through Jan. 3, Jan. 18 and Feb. 15. That means Tuesday, Feb. 16, the day after Presidents' Day, is a holiday reservation day at Brighton and an ordinary free weekday at Solitude, even though the two are in the same canyon.
The free-after hours change what a late start costs. Leave Cottonwood Heights at 10:30 on a Saturday and you can reach Solitude after its 11 a.m. cutoff and park free. Leave a little later and Brighton's noon line applies. An afternoon at Alta needs no booking after 1 p.m. Brighton adds Sunday night skiing this season, with night hours of 4 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Monday. That gives Big Cottonwood an evening option that doesn't involve morning parking at all.
The bus starts Dec. 6, from lots that fill by 8:30
UTA's Winter Change Day page says seasonal service on Routes 972 and 994 and Canyon Service CS1, CS2 and CS3 is planned to begin Sunday, Dec. 6. The agency will post more details in early November. Route 972 runs to Solitude and Brighton, and Route 994 to Snowbird and Alta. CS3 is listed as sponsored service and depends on a partnering agreement with UDOT. A ride costs $5 one way, or $2 at the reduced fare. Resort and Ikon passes include ski-bus rides.
The park-and-ride lots nearest Cottonwood Heights, from UTA's lot directory:
- Big Cottonwood Canyon P&R, 3863 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, Cottonwood Heights
- 6200 S. Wasatch Blvd. P&R, 6520 S. Wasatch Blvd., Holladay
- 9400 S. Highland Dr. P&R, 2065 E. 9510 S., Sandy
Parking at these lots is free if you're riding transit. UDOT's travel page warns that the lots closest to the canyons fill by 8:30 a.m. on most days, weekdays included. That's the reverse of the resort lots. At the base areas, waiting until late morning gets you free parking. At the canyon mouth, waiting gets you no spot at all.
Last season's pattern shows how the routes used these lots. The 2025–26 Route 972 stopped at the 6200 S. lot and the Big Cottonwood Canyon P&R on the way to Solitude's Moonbeam lodge and Brighton. CS3 made one morning run up from 6200 S. and one afternoon run down from Brighton on weekends and select holidays. Those are last winter's stops and times. UTA hasn't published the 2026–27 schedules yet.
Free parking doesn't waive the other rules
Some rules still apply when parking costs nothing. Under the enhanced traction rule described on UDOT's Cottonwood Canyons traction page, the rule can be activated up to 24 hours before a storm. When the canyon beacons are flashing, tires need at least 5/32-inch tread. All-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles need M+S tires at minimum, and UDOT also accepts snowflake-rated tires or traction devices such as chains or snow socks. Two-wheel drive vehicles need tires with the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol on all wheels, or traction devices on at least two drive wheels. Cottonwood Heights Police enforce it at the mouth of Big Cottonwood, and Sandy Police at Little Cottonwood.
Alta has also tightened its reservation system. Each account can now hold no more than four active reservations, free and paid combined, though same-day bookings don't count toward the limit. If you don't cancel before 8 a.m. and don't show up, the first time is a warning and every no-show after that costs $100. Parking without a reservation during reservation hours brings a $150 fine. Alta releases more reservations every Sunday at 3 p.m. for the following weekend. Alta is also adding a few spaces on the north side of the Wildcat lot.
This is a summary of published policies, not legal advice. Check the resort, UTA and UDOT pages linked here before you head up, because details can change during the season.
Why the resort rules are the system for now
The bigger fixes haven't reached the road yet, so the resort parking rules are doing most of the work this winter. UDOT finished its Big Cottonwood environmental study on May 13. The plan includes a 1,750-space mobility hub near the canyon mouth, variable tolling and new bus lanes, but none of it is expected before the 2028 winter season. KSL reported a total estimate of $264.5 million and said the hub would sit near the Wasatch and Fort Union connection. On Little Cottonwood, KSL reported in May that UDOT hadn't put any phase of its plan in place because of litigation tied to the gondola. The Cottonwood Heights Journal reported in February that the city council planned to keep opposing the gondola and listed Wasatch Boulevard and ski traffic among its priorities.
UDOT's avalanche crews are already getting ready. KSL reported on Oct. 18 that roughly 20 remote-control avalanche towers are now in place in Little Cottonwood. Visit Salt Lake quotes the Climate Prediction Center putting the chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter at greater than 90%. In a big snow year, the free hours and free weeks above are the parts of the season you can plan around ahead of time. For more on the city at the base of these canyons, see our Cottonwood Heights neighborhood page and our guide to the city's two restaurant scenes, including the one at the canyon mouth.
Living ten minutes from the canyon mouths means you can ski Alta in the early season with no reservation or show up at Solitude after 11 and park free. If you'd like to know what your Cottonwood Heights home is worth this winter, Tricia Vanderkooi offers a free home valuation.
