Cottonwood Heights' Ski Season Starts in Stages. Here's the Order.

For anyone in Cottonwood Heights, the 2026-27 ski season doesn't start on a single opening day. It starts in steps over about eight weeks, beginning with a gear swap this weekend and finishing with parking reservations in mid-December. In between are three or four weeks when lifts are spinning, most of the parking rules haven't started yet, and the ski buses haven't started running either. Knowing that order changes when you drive, when you ride, and when you start making reservations.

First Comes the Gear, Starting This Weekend

The Salt Lake Valley Ski Swap runs this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24, at the Utah State Fairpark, 155 N 1000 W. According to the event listing on Eventbrite, sellers drop off gear Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Doors open to shoppers Friday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. for $7 for ages 14 and up, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free admission. Consigned gear has to be in good condition, and swap staff are on hand to help price it.

Next, the rental and tune shops along Fort Union Boulevard come back for the season. Utah Ski & Golf's Cottonwood Canyon location at 2432 E. Fort Union Blvd. lists its opening as Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. The Lifthouse at 3700 Fort Union Blvd. does rentals, boot fitting, and tuning. It puts the drive from its door to the Snowbird base at about 18 minutes in normal conditions. Ski 'N See's Cottonwood shop at 1844 E. Fort Union Blvd. offers daily rentals, demo equipment, and tunes. The Gear Room at 3422 Fort Union Blvd. runs as a gear sale and swap shop. Its swap date for this season is still listed as to be announced.

Cross-country skiers get a swap of their own in the neighborhood. The Utah Nordic Alliance's swap is Saturday, Nov. 7, in the Canyon View Elementary School gym at 3050 E. 7800 S. Drop-off is at 8:30 a.m., and sales run from 9 a.m. to noon. It takes Nordic skis, boots, poles, bindings, and clothing only, with no alpine or backcountry gear. Twenty percent of sales go to TUNA's junior programs, and payment is cash or Venmo only.

The Lifts Open Before the Rules Do

The resorts have posted target dates, all of them depending on conditions. Visit Salt Lake lists Alta and Solitude for Nov. 20, 2026, and Snowbird for Nov. 27. Brighton's opening day FAQ still says TBD.

Compare those dates with the parking calendars. Alta's parking page says reservations start Dec. 11 and are needed Friday through Sunday and on holidays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Solitude's parking page starts reservations for the Moonbeam lot on Dec. 18. Its 2026-27 rate table has a separate "Early Season" column covering opening day through Dec. 18, and every row in that column is free. At Snowbird, most parking is free and first-come, first-served at lots such as Entry 1 and Wilbere Hill. Paid reserved parking is an option, not a requirement.

That puts three weeks between Alta and Solitude's Nov. 20 target and Alta's first reservation day, and four weeks before Solitude's. In Little Cottonwood, Alta's regular Friday-through-Sunday reservations don't begin until Dec. 11, though its page says parking before 8 a.m. needs a reservation every day, and most of Snowbird's lots are first-come. In Big Cottonwood, Solitude's own table lists early-season parking as free. Brighton is the one to check closely. Its posted 2026-27 rates charge on Friday through Sunday, and its page doesn't give a separate early-season exception.

The Bus Arrives Later Than the Snow

UTA's seasonal canyon service doesn't start until Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026. Its Winter Change Day page lists Routes 972 and 994 and Canyon Service CS1, CS2, and CS3 as starting that day. CS3 depends on a partnership agreement with the Utah Department of Transportation. UTA says more details will be posted in early November. UTA's ski service page currently lists a $5 one-way fare and a $2 reduced fare for those who qualify.

If the resorts open on their targets, the first two weeks of Alta and Solitude, and the first nine days of Snowbird, will come before the canyon buses start. Early season is a driving season by default. The two park-and-ride lots closest to the neighborhood are the Big Cottonwood Canyon lot at 3863 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Road in Cottonwood Heights and the 6200 S. Wasatch Blvd. lot, which UTA lists at 6520 S. Wasatch Blvd. This season's routes and timetables haven't been posted yet, so check them in November before planning a carpool around a particular stop.

Mid-December Changes the Rules

By the third week of December, every resort has its full season rules in place. Here is how they compare for 2026-27:

A few changes are new this year. Alta now caps each account at four active reservations, free and paid combined. Same-day bookings don't count toward the cap. The first no-show gets a warning, and each one after that costs $100. Alta released part of its reservations in mid-October and holds most of them for the season, releasing more every Sunday at 3 p.m. Solitude's Moonbeam lot is now free to everyone after 11 a.m. every day. Snowbird season passholders get one free rolling reservation for the Upper Gad Valley lot. Snowbird's $1,499 Preferred Parking Pass is already sold out.

The noon and 11 a.m. cutoffs matter more to someone who lives a short drive from the canyon mouths than to a visitor coming from across the valley. Arriving after 11 a.m. at Solitude or after noon at Brighton means free parking with no reservation.

When the Lots Fill, the Road Closes Behind Them

Reservations and canyon road closures are tied together. UDOT's uphill restriction page says it limits uphill traffic in Big and Little Cottonwood only when resort parking and roadside parking are both full. The exceptions UDOT lists include UTA buses, carpools and rideshares, and visitors with resort reservations. A parking reservation becomes worth more on a storm Saturday in January than it is in early December.

Under UDOT's traction law guidance, traction requirements in the Cottonwood canyons can be put in place up to 24 hours before a storm. When the canyon beacons are flashing, tires need at least 5/32 inch of tread, and the tire rules for all-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles differ from those for two-wheel drive. This is general information, not legal advice. UDOT's page is the place to confirm what your own vehicle needs.

The Canyon Plan That Comes After This Season

All of this is the current system, and UDOT is planning a different one. KSL reported in May 2026 that UDOT finalized its Big Cottonwood plan, which includes a proposed 1,750-space mobility hub, more frequent buses, and variable tolling. KSL said buses would initially run every 10 to 15 minutes, with service possibly starting as early as winter 2028. KUER reported in June 2026 that UDOT's first-phase target for buses and tolls in both canyons is fall 2028, with toll rates still undecided. According to the same KUER report, the Little Cottonwood gondola is a later phase that depends on how the earlier ones work. UDOT has authorized a land purchase of about $8 million for a gondola base, and the gondola might not go ahead if buses and tolling ease congestion.

Living near the canyons shapes how a home fits the way you spend the winter, and those details come up all the time in our conversations with east-side homeowners. If you're thinking about what your Cottonwood Heights home might sell for before or after ski season, the team at Lori and Lisa Sell can talk it through with you. Get a Free Home Valuation.