Where is Alta Ski Resort?
Alta Utah is located in the Wasatch Mountain Range in the Little Cottonwood Canyon (State Highway 210). The
Alta ski resort is only a 45 minute drive (in good traffic) from
Salt Lake City and its international airport, so getting to Alta is pretty easy.
Some of the outer suburbs of Salt Lake City have economical lodging options that are closer to Alta than the city.
Midvale is approximately 17 miles away, whilst
Cottonwood Heights (at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon) is 14 miles from the Alta Ski Area.
Alta Transport
By air & Alta shuttle:
Salt Lake City is a major airline hub, so there are numerous flights into Utah. Many companies provide ground transportation from the airport to Alta, which is a great option if Alta is your only destination. If you want to sample various
Utah ski resorts,
renting a car would be very handy but not essential.
Driving to Alta:
If you want to sample various
Utah ski resorts, renting a car would be very handy but not essential, and ditto if you plan to stay off-mountain.
There are lots of options for
car rentals at Salt Lake City Airport or in SLC. If you don’t rent a 4WD vehicle, Utah law requires cars to have snow tires and chains from November to May.
Undoubtedly you’ve got a map or GPS app but for general driving directions to Alta, from downtown and the airport, go east on I-80, south on I-215, take 6200 South exit (turns into Wasatch Blvd) and then follow the signs to Alta and Snowbird.
Little Cottonwood Canyon is very avalanche prone, so sometimes it is closed for avalanche control. Up to date road information is provided on the radio station AM 530.
The traffic to and from Alta on the Little Cottonwood Canyon road can be horrendous at times, especially on weekends.
The
Alta lodges provide limited overnight parking, and there are two day-parking lots. The Wildcat base parking is better for intermediate and advanced skiers and there is parking set aside for those with 3+ people per vehicle, whilst the 2nd parking lot at the Albion base is most suited to beginners.
Bus to Alta:
If staying in
Salt Lake City hotels you can take the Utah Transit Authority light rail (UTA TRAX) from downtown and transfer to a UTA ski bus. They have frequent pick-ups from multiple stops around the city including 10 different hotels, and it is incredibly cheap. There are also park-and-ride stops at the entrance to the canyon where you can catch the UTA buses.
Another alternative to travel to Alta is to use a private Alta shuttle service such as Canyon Hop. Canyon Hop can also get you over to other nearby resorts.
[AdListings collection="USA" category="Alta" subcategory="Transport Airport Shuttles"]
Getting Around Alta
Alta has a free white shuttle bus that makes continuous loops between the bases and along the road to the condos. To get to Snowbird you can either ski over, or catch the UTA bus. Some of the lodges also provide their own shuttle services.
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Ski Resorts Near Alta
Nearby
Snowbird ski resort is “next door” and just 1-2 miles away by road in the same canyon. Many other Utah ski resorts are less than an hour away.
Big Cottonwood Canyon:
Park City Resorts:
Powder Mountain and
Snowbasin are about 2 hours away.