Alta Chalets FAQs

The closest airport to Alta and Snowbird is the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). We are a hub for Delta Airlines and have direct flights from most major US airports along with some international destinations. Driving time from the Airport to Alta is approximately 45 minutes, weather and traffic dependent.

Yes you do! We get over 500 inches of snow a year and the Department of Transportation often restricts the roads to 4WD or all-wheel drive only. That means that if you do not have a 4WD or all-wheel drive, you are not allowed to drive in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

There are many different thoughts on this subject. A short answer would be no, you don't need to rent a car but make sure that you know these things before making that choice.

Yes, Alta Chalets sells Super Pass lift tickets. These are a great option if you can't decide which resort you want to ski or ride at every day. The Super Pass is pre-loaded with a quantity of lift ticket days and allows you to choose each day if you are going to ski at Alta or Snowbird. No more locking in a consecutive day single resort pass! You can always upgrade this pass at the top of the mountain to be the Alta Snowbird dual mountain lift ticket. These passes always have a 14 day window of use once you go through a ticket gate the first day.

Alta Chalets offers a food stocking service – we can stop at the grocery store, natural foods store (Whole Foods) and/or liquor store in Salt Lake City and stock your rental accommodation so all is waiting for you upon arrival. If doing your own shopping, is important that you pick up groceries at grocery stores at the bottom of the canyon before heading up. There is only a small general store at Snowbird where you can restock with things like milk and juice.

Altitude affects people differently. It is not unusual to get a little headache and have some problems sleeping your first few days at altitude. There are brochures in each of our rental properties with pointers on handling altitude. If you have questions or if you are experiencing more than mild symptoms, you should be seen by a medical professional. We recommend that you avoid excessive alcohol, caffeine and increase your intake of water.

The Free Alta Resort Shuttle runs continually during the daytime (ski lift hours) from mid-December until mid-April. This shuttle stops at all of the accommodations and brings guests to and from Alta's base lifts and operates every 30 minutes from 8:30am to 5pm daily, weather and traffic dependent. This shuttle does NOT go to Snowbird. Please contact (801) 301-0122 if you have questions. The UTA Ski Bus does travel to Snowbird, but depending on your lodging property, you may have a bit of a walk to the pick-up spot. The Snowbird Bell Desk offers nighttime shuttle service within Alta and Snowbird. This is an on-demand, pay by the ride service that will pick you up at your rental property and take you to any of the local restaurants at Alta or Snowbird. This service is $5 per person each way. Please call (801) 933-2192 for reservations. Advance Reservations are advised.

There are lots of discount ski rental operations in the Salt Lake Valley, however, if you are staying at Alta or Snowbird, we recommend that you rent your skis there. Though it may cost a little bit more, you will be happy not to have to drive back to Salt Lake should you want to switch skis or if you have a problem during your visit.

Below are the items that we provide for all of our guests in the units. • Salt and Pepper • Coffee Filters • Laundry and Dishwasher Detergent • Dish Soap • Sponge and Scouring Pad • All Purpose Spray Cleaner • Paper Towels and Dish Towels • Toilet Paper • Starter supply of trash bags

The answer is absolutely yes ... even on Sunday. Like other major cities, Salt Lake has bars, brewpubs, and restaurants that serve alcohol seven days a week. The "membership requirement" to enter bars was removed in 2009. If you're over 21 you can walk into a bar, order a drink, and enjoy. You have to buy wine, full strength beer and hard liquor at a Utah State Liquor Store (see grocery stores for locations).

Due to the unique challenges of Alta's weather and location, no recycling pick up service exists. However, if you have a vehicle and would like to recycle, you can take it to the Alta Recycling Center, which is on the north side of the main road, down canyon from the post office/fire station. It is across the street from the parking lot west of the Rustler Lodge. The recycling center accepts newspaper, plastics (including plastic bags), steel cans, cardboard, cereal boxes, aluminum cans, tin cans, all paper, milk jugs and soap boxes. It does not accept glass.

Sometimes our guests will ask for a different check in/out time other than our standard 4pm check in and 10am check out. We will put the request onto your reservation but it is always on request basis only. It is based on a number of different factors: housekeeping schedules, weather and other Alta Chalets reservations in house at the time. Please contact us directly so we can assess what this may look like for you.

When you call your caretaker at the airport, they will make plans to do your orientation and official check in to the property. They will instruct you on where and how to park for your specific unit. You must display a pink Alta Chalets parking permit for select units on the rearview mirror of your rental car.