Parking at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon is limited, and managing it has become one of the biggest challenges for both Alta Ski Area and the Town of Alta. The canyon’s geography, surrounding National Forest and frequent snowfall confine parking to the two main base area parking lots—Wildcat and Albion—and a few lots in the Town of Alta.
During peak visitation periods, parking demand often exceeds the capacity of this network of parking lots. To address this, Alta Ski Area and the Town of Alta rely on a parking reservation system. The license-plate-based reservation system helps us manage the ski experience by limiting the number of skiers to available terrain and lift capacity. Our parking reservation system provides Alta skiers the peace of mind that there will be a parking space before driving up Little Cottonwood Canyon. Reservations have eased early morning traffic congestion resulting from limited parking available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Before your next trip to Alta, check parking reservation requirements, determine which base area best suits your needs and check current Highway 210 conditions.
Alta parking reservations for winter 2025–26
Beginning December 12th, reservations are required Friday–Sunday & Holiday Periods from 8am–1pm. The reservation system will go live on October 14th, as we will release a portion of available reservations for visiting skiers and passholders. Throughout the season, additional parking reservations will be released every Sunday at 3pm (MST)—set a reminder.
NO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
- Monday through Thursday after 8am—excluding Holiday Periods
- Opening Day through December 11, 2025
- Daily after 1pm
Reservations Required
- Reservations begin Friday, December 12, 2025
- Holiday Periods: December 19th through January 4th, January 19th & February 16th
- Reservations end Sunday, April 5, 2026
- Closing Day, April 26th, from 8am–1pm
How Do Paid Parking Reservations Work?
- Parking Reservations can be purchased online
- Reservations will be available for $25 per day
- Lift tickets purchased online are eligible for a discounted parking reservation rate of $10
- Qualifying Alta Ski Area and Alta-Bird passholders are eligible for free parking reservations
- Qualifying Alta passholders will receive code(s) that can be used to book free parking reservations
- Reservation codes may be reused once the active reservation date has passed
- All parking reservations are subject to availability
- Parking reservations are verified by your license plate and are scanned while you are parked
- The fine for parking without a reservation will be $150
- Alta will release additional parking each Sunday at 3pm (Mountain Time) for the following weekend or holiday period
Early Morning Reservations
Reservations are required daily if you would like to park before 8am. Early Morning Reservations allow dawn patrol backcountry skiers and early risers to park at 6am in the South Flagstaff lot.
- $25 per reservation Friday–Sunday & Holiday Periods
- $15 per reservation Monday–Thursday
- With an Early Morning Reservation, you are welcome to occupy that parking spot for the day
- Early Morning Reservations end April 6, 2026
Reserve Early Morning Parking >
Additional Parking Info
ADA Parking
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Alta's parking crew provides our best available parking to those individuals with ADA plates or placards. Each of Alta Ski Area's parking lots—Wildcat, Albion, Flagstaff and Grizzly Gulch—have designated ADA parking areas. Parking reservations are required for all vehicles—Alta's parking crew will make every effort to provide our best available parking to those individuals with ADA plates or placards.
EV Charging
Electric Vehicle chargers are available in the Albion parking lot—next to the Albion Day Lodge.
View the Albion EV Chargers on PlugShare.com >
The Electric Vehicle charger in the Wildcat lot was removed during the 2023–24 season. We hope to add additional EV chargers soon. Stay tuned!
OVERNIGHT PARKING
Overnight parking is not allowed in Little Cottonwood Canyon or Alta Ski Area parking lots—the Town of Alta provides limited overnight parking to lodge guests and employees via permit. Overnight parking is when you leave your car parked overnight while you are inside a lodge, cabin or chalet.
Overnight camping or sleeping in a vehicle is prohibited in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Avalanche and watershed restrictions prohibit sleeping in a vehicle overnight within a half-mile of any road in Little Cottonwood Canyon—this includes Alta Ski Area and Town of Alta parking lots. In the summer, overnight camping is permitted only in designated campgrounds.
If you have overnight lodging in Alta, having a car is often unnecessary. Most lodges and condominiums are slopeside and can provide private transportation to Alta Ski Area and Snowbird.
Highway 210 Parking
From November 1st through May 15th, parking is not allowed in designated avalanche zones and slide paths. This applies to both sides of Highway 210 within the posted areas. Please pay attention to roadside signage and only park in designated areas.
UDOT Cottonwood Canyons Travel Resources >
Parking reservation information stated on this page represents our current direction but may change in the future to better fit the needs of our skiers.