All four Cottonwood Canyons resorts have a limited number of parking spaces, and for the 2026–27 season each one charges for something different. Solitude charges for the morning. Alta charges for flaking on a reservation. Brighton charges for empty seats. Snowbird keeps most of its asphalt free and charges for certainty. For anyone in Cottonwood Heights, the cheapest day on the hill now depends on which of those four things you can give up.
Alta and Solitude are scheduled to open November 20, 2026, and Snowbird on November 27. The reservation requirements kick in during December. Here is how they line up side by side.
| Resort | When a reservation is required | Cost for 1–3 people | Carpool rate | New for 2026–27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta | Friday through Sunday and holiday periods, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., from Dec. 11 | $25, or $10 with a lift-ticket purchase | No separate rate | Four-reservation cap, $100 no-show fee after a first warning |
| Brighton | Friday through Sunday and holidays before noon, Dec. 4 to Apr. 18 | $25 | $10 for 4+ | Night riding added on Sundays |
| Solitude | Friday through Sunday and holidays before 11 a.m., Dec. 18 to Mar. 28 | $35 | Free for 4+, reservation still required | Free parking after 11 a.m. every day |
| Snowbird | Most lots need no reservation | Paid reservations from $30 | 3+ carpool spaces, can't be reserved | Free rolling Upper Gad Valley reservation for eligible passholders |
Solitude Charges for the Morning
Solitude made the biggest change of the four. Starting this season, parking at the Moonbeam lot is free after 11 a.m. every day, and you don't need a reservation after that hour. Before 11 a.m. on Fridays through Sundays and on the holiday dates of December 25 through January 3, January 18 and February 15, a car with one to three people pays $35. A car with four or more parks free but still needs a free reservation. Parking is also free from opening day to December 18 and again from March 29 to closing day.
That makes the price a clock. Arrive at 10:45 on a Saturday and it costs $35. Arrive at 11:05 and it costs nothing. For Cottonwood Heights skiers who already like a late-morning start, a weekend afternoon at Solitude now comes with no parking charge at all.
The trade-off is the lot itself. UDOT's canyon travel guidance says the park-and-ride lots closest to the canyons are full by 8:30 a.m. on most days, weekdays included. An 11 a.m. arrival skips the fee but also skips the morning laps, so you are trading those for the $35.
Alta Charges for Not Showing Up
Alta kept the price and changed the rules around it. Reservations are required Fridays through Sundays and holiday periods from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting December 11. They cost $25, drop to $10 with a lift-ticket purchase, and are free for qualifying Alta passholders.
The new part is aimed at people who book weekends "just in case." Each account can now hold at most four active reservations, free and paid combined. Same-day bookings don't count toward that cap. A first no-show gets a warning, and every no-show after that costs $100. A reminder text arrives 24 hours before each reservation starts.
The fall release covers only part of the season's reservations. More are released every Sunday at 3 p.m., and cancellations free up spots daily. Canceling before 8 a.m. on the day keeps you clear of the no-show count. For a local who can decide on Sunday afternoon what the coming weekend looks like, that 3 p.m. release matters more than the October one.
Brighton Charges by the Seat
Brighton prices by headcount. Reservations are required before noon on Fridays through Sundays and listed holidays from December 4, 2026 through April 18, 2027. A car with one to three people pays $25, a car with four or more pays $10, and parking after noon is free. Qualifying passholders park free but still need to reserve. Oversized vehicles don't get the carpool rate.
Brighton also changed its nights. Night riding now runs Wednesday through Monday from 4 to 9 p.m. on five lifts: Explorer, Majestic, Crest 6, Milly Express and Snake Creek. Sunday nights are new this season, and Tuesday is now the weekly closure for maintenance. Adult night tickets start at $42. Since reservations end at noon, a Sunday night session at Brighton needs no parking reservation and costs nothing to park.
Snowbird Charges for Certainty
Snowbird kept most of its parking free and first-come, first-served at Entry 1, Wilbere Hill, the Main Lot, the Bypass Road, and Chickadee Hill and the Superior Lot when conditions allow. If you want a guaranteed space, paid reservations start at $30 and vary by date and lot. Carpool spaces for three or more people are in the Main Lot, Upper Gad Valley, Entry 1, Lower Chickadee Hill and part of the Superior Lot, and those can't be reserved. Any preferred, reserved or paid spaces still empty at 1 p.m. open up as free parking.
The new perk is for passholders. Eligible Snowbird passholders get one free rolling reservation for the Upper Gad Valley Lot, which is now reservation-only. Once you use it, you can book the next one, as space allows. Snowbird set November 11 as the date free passholder and paid reservations became available. A passholder who skis Snowbird every week can keep booking the next Upper Gad Valley day without paying for parking, as long as space allows.
The Bus Skips All Four Systems
From Cottonwood Heights, one option avoids every rule above. UTA's ski service is planned to run December 6 through April 11. The 6200 South Wasatch Blvd. park-and-ride sits at 6520 S. Wasatch Blvd., and the Big Cottonwood Canyon lot is at 3863 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Road. Parking at both is free for transit riders.
Which bus to take depends on where you're headed:
- Snowbird or Alta, all day: Canyon Service 2 leaves the 6200 South Wasatch park-and-ride every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and runs to Alta.
- Snowbird or Alta from the south end of town: Route 994 runs every 30 minutes between Historic Sandy Station and Alta's Goldminer's Daughter by way of Snowbird. It also stops at 9400 S. and 2000 E.
- Solitude or Brighton: Route 972 stops at 6200 S. and Wasatch Blvd. and at the Big Cottonwood Canyon park-and-ride. This season it runs seven days a week to match Brighton's new night schedule, and Canyon Service 3 adds daily trips to both resorts.
A one-way fare is $5, or $2 for qualified reduced-fare riders paying with a FAREPAY card. 2026–27 resort season passes, the Super Pass and the Ikon Pass all include ski bus rides. Canyon Service buses don't take cash. For a passholder, the bus is free and needs no reservation, no carload and no 11 a.m. wait. Your only constraint is getting a space at the park-and-ride.
If you drive, UDOT's traction rules for the Cottonwood Canyons apply whatever lot you're aiming for. When restrictions are in effect, qualifying AWD or 4WD vehicles need M+S or three-peak mountain snowflake tires with at least 5/32-inch tread. Qualifying 2WD vehicles need three-peak mountain snowflake tires with the same tread depth. Otherwise you need approved traction devices, installed when the alert requires them. This is general information, not legal advice, so check UDOT's traction law page for the requirements that apply to your vehicle.
Why Each Resort Set Its Own Rules
Each resort writes its own parking rules because the canyon-wide plans haven't reached the road yet. In Little Cottonwood, KSL reported in May 2026 that none of the phases in UDOT's plan, including buses, tolling, road widening, snow sheds and an eventual gondola, had been carried out because of litigation over the gondola.
Big Cottonwood is further along. On May 13, 2026, UDOT completed its Big Cottonwood Canyon environmental study. It proposes a 1,750-stall mobility hub near the canyon mouth, a grade-separated intersection on Wasatch Boulevard, and buses every 10 to 15 minutes at the start. The plan also includes variable-priced tolling, indoor bus stops at Solitude and Brighton, and a bus-priority lane on the Brighton Loop. UDOT's study page schedules design and bus procurement for 2026, property acquisition and construction for 2027, and implementation for fall 2028.
The team at Bybee + Co Realty counts canyon access as part of what a home near the canyon mouths is worth. If you're thinking about buying or selling near the canyons, we can show you how winter access figures into a home's price. Contact us.
