The town of Alta and the world-renowned Alta Ski Area are located at the top of the Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah’s scenic Wasatch Mountain range. Alta is less than 30 miles from downtown Salt Lake City and accessible only on a single stretch of road – Utah’s Scenic Highway 210, aka Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Scenic Highway 210 is a glacier-carved corridor that winds up through the Little Cottonwood Canyon with an elevation climb of roughly 3,400 feet – it’s narrow, steep, and spectacularly scenic. With over 500” of snow falling annually in Utah (and some of the best powder on the planet!), the winter conditions can be dangerous for driving.
The team at Alta Chalets continues to encourage our guests to vacation without a car and take advantage of the convenient transportation options available to get to Alta in the winter ski season. Congestion is a reality in the canyons, parking is limited in Alta and Snowbird, and you’ll be thankful to let someone else do the driving and focus your attention on the gorgeous scenery in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains.
Flying To The Alta Ski Area
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is the nearest airport to the Alta Ski Area and was recently remodeled with state-of-the-art facilities meaning easier, hassle-free travel for skiers. Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, United and their airline affiliates all serve SLC making it fast to fly in from both the east and west coast. Catch an early morning flight, you’ll be skiing by lunchtime, and sipping craft beer and cocktails in your private hot tub or laid-back aprés ski bar as the sun sets!
Driving To Alta
The driving time from Salt Lake City to Alta is on average 45 minutes under normal conditions. In winter, always be prepared for unpredictable weather, potential congestion, slower travel times, and difficult driving conditions.
Driving from Salt Lake City International Airport, head south on the I-15, take the 9000 S. exit, and travel approximately 8 miles east to connect with Scenic Highway 210. Considered one of the most avalanche-prone highways in North America, Utah’s Highway 210 is often closed for natural avalanches and deliberate avalanche mitigation in efforts to make the road to Alta safer.
Before driving, do your research on Interlodge in Alta, always check the Cottonwood Canyon road conditions, and ensure your vehicle is travel-ready for winter conditions. The Utah Department of Transportation Traction Laws require that all vehicles entering the Cottonwood Canyons from November 1st to May 1st have snow tires and carry snow chains, or have 4WD or AWD in addition to snow tires.
For convenient car rentals at SLC airport, Alta Chalets partners with Enterprise Car Rental to provide great discounted rates on reliable, winter-ready vehicles for our guests. As of the 2021-2022 winter season, overnight parking permits will be required in Alta, and skiers will need to make a paid reservation for parking at the Alta Ski Area on holidays and weekends, including Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Public & Private Transportation To Alta
Leave the driving to a local experienced driver who knows the curves and cliffs of Little Cottonwood Canyon and shuttles skiers from Salt Lake International Airport to the Alta Ski Area daily! Travelers can share an airport shuttle with other skiers (and get some Alta ski tips!), or even arrange private door-to-door service in a luxury SUV.
Alta Shuttle: Alta Shuttle has been transporting skiers to Alta for over 35 years. The shuttle departs SLC airport every 20-30 minutes from 8AM to midnight, returning from Alta every hour from 4:45AM to 8:45PM. There are 3 different pricing options – SmartShare, Big Picture Rate (for groups of 3 up), and Private Vehicle with options for up to groups of 13, and a stop included on the way. Alta Shuttle makes it easy for every type of traveler to get to the Alta Ski Area.
Alpine Transportation: Alpine Transportation offers private door-to-door service from Salt Lake City International Airport to your vacation home or ski chalet in Alta and Snowbird Resort. Their fleet of luxury vehicles includes the latest models of full-size SUVs and large vans for groups of up to 11 passengers. If you’re keen to do some sightseeing or take a day trip to another Utah ski resort, give Alpine Transportation a call – they offer more than airport transport services.
Getting Around Alta
There really is no need for a car once you arrive in Alta. The free Alta ski shuttle runs continually along Bypass Road from 8:30AM to 5PM daily (mid-December to mid-April) to transport guests to the Alta Ski Area. The shuttle does not serve Snowbird Resort, but skiers can hop off at The View Condominiums and ski in to Snowbird on an intermediate trail (or stay slopeside in Snowbird!)
The free Alta shuttle stops on Alta Bypass Road include Superior Point, Sugarplum Townhouses, Upper & Lower Sugarplum Village, Sugarplum Meadows, The View Condominiums, Powder Ridge Chalets, PhotoHaus Condominiums, and our private Alta ski chalets.
Stay Slopeside At Alta & Snowbird Resort With Alta Chalets
At Alta Chalets, we make it even easier to get around Alta. Our selection of luxury ski condos, chalets and lodges are situated on (or near) the Alta ski shuttle route, with many rentals nestled slopeside giving you the freedom to ski in/ski out from home and walk to the shops, restaurants, and après ski bars.
We are a small family-run business with 30+ years in the Alta ski area, there’s an Alta chalet for every ski trip and our local hands-on team is ready to create a personalized guest experience for every guest.
Our rentals range from luxury one-bedroom slopeside Snowbird ski condos at The View Condominiums to majestic eight-bedroom ski chalets at the base of the Alta ski slopes – we’ll even do the shopping and deliver the groceries to your kitchen, so you don’t need to stop on the way in!
Browse our selection of luxury Alta chalets and, for any tips on planning your transportation to Alta, give our team a call on (801) 424-2426.
