What time does a weekend ski day in Big Cottonwood Canyon start when the canyon mouth is a few minutes from your driveway? For the 2026-27 season, both resorts up the canyon answer that question with a time on their parking signs. Solitude Mountain Resort moved that time two hours earlier this year.
Last season, Solitude's lot was free and unrestricted on weekends only after 1:00 p.m. This season, Solitude says on its parking page that parking in the Moonbeam lot is free after 11:00 a.m. every day, with no reservation required. Brighton Resort's free window opens at noon. If you live in Cottonwood Heights, both cutoffs land late enough to sleep in and early enough to get in a full afternoon.
Solitude's free hour moved from 1 p.m. to 11 a.m.
Solitude's reservation system covers the Moonbeam Parking Lot, which is the main day-use lot serving Moonbeam Express, Eagle Express and the Link chairlift. The lot opens at 7:00 a.m. Starting December 18, 2026, you need a reservation to park there before 11:00 a.m. on Fridays through Sundays and on designated holidays. Reservations stop being required on March 29, 2027.
During those reserved hours, a car carrying one to three people pays $35, and a car with four or more parks free. Weekdays outside the holidays are free, and so are opening day through December 18 and March 29 through closing day. Solitude's holiday dates this season are December 25 through January 3, January 18 and February 15.
A 1:00 p.m. arrival used to leave about half a ski day. An 11:00 a.m. arrival now leaves most of one. Reservations also start later in the season. In 2025-26, paid and reservation parking at Solitude began on December 5. This year that start moved to December 18.
Brighton draws its line at noon and charges carpools a smaller fee
At the top of the road, Brighton uses its own clock and its own pricing. Its 2026-27 rate table lists free parking Monday through Thursday. On Fridays through Sundays and on holidays, a car with one to three people pays $25 and a car with four or more pays $10. Parking is free for everyone after noon. Brighton's reservation requirement starts December 4, 2026, and applies before noon on reservation days.
| Weekend or holiday, 2026-27 | Solitude, Moonbeam lot | Brighton |
|---|---|---|
| Reservations begin | December 18, 2026 | December 4, 2026 |
| Free for everyone after | 11:00 a.m. | Noon |
| 1 to 3 occupants, before cutoff | $35 | $25 |
| 4 or more occupants, before cutoff | Free | $10 |
| Monday to Thursday, non-holiday | Free | Free |
Brighton also sells Preferred Parking for $30 on any day of the week, but it isn't offered after 11:00 a.m. If you plan to arrive late, the free lot after noon is the only option.
If you want a morning spot on a weekend, Brighton releases reservations on a set schedule. Season inventory went out in August. Upcoming-weekend inventory is released Mondays at 6:00 p.m., with more added at 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. the day before. Qualifying passholders can hold up to two complimentary reservations at a time, but they still need a reservation on required days.
December brings three start dates over two weeks
The parking calendar matters as much as the time of day. As of mid-October, Solitude was targeting November 20, 2026 for opening day, conditions permitting, according to Visit Salt Lake's season guide. Brighton's opening date was still listed as to be determined. Brighton's winter operations page still listed it as TBD after that guide was published.
If both resorts open on schedule, the stretch looks like this:
- Opening day through December 3: no reservations at either resort, and Solitude parking is free.
- December 4: Brighton's weekend and holiday reservations begin.
- December 6: UTA's seasonal canyon bus service starts.
- December 18: Solitude's reservations begin.
For two weeks in December, Brighton's weekend mornings are on reservations while Solitude's are still free. Those two weeks also bracket the start of bus service.
The back half of the day now runs later at Brighton
Brighton's other changes this year push the day later into the evening. For its 90th season, the resort will run night skiing every Sunday and move its weekly closure night to Tuesday. Brighton has more than 200 acres of lit terrain and four lifts running after dark.
The resort also added an Off-Peak Pass. It covers non-holiday weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., plus unlimited access from 2:00 p.m. to close every day of the season, including weekends and holidays, with no blackout dates. On a weekend, that pass covers 2:00 p.m. to close. Since parking is free after noon, an Off-Peak passholder can ski a Sunday afternoon and into the night session without a reservation or a parking fee. On the Milly side, the Milly Chalet is getting a new concept as a quick-service Mexican restaurant.
Solitude's main update this season is on the hill rather than in the lot. The resort is expanding its snowmaking with both fixed and mobile guns.
Rules that apply at any hour
Some rules apply no matter what time you drive up.
The traction law. Starting in winter 2025-26, the Cottonwood Canyons traction law changed. Requirements can now be put in place up to 24 hours before a storm, Class 3 requires at least 5/32-inch tire tread, and officers can issue citations, according to UDOT's announcement. UDOT says Cottonwood Heights Police focus their traction-law enforcement at the mouth of Big Cottonwood. Enforcement is tied to the traction lights being on and changes with storm severity, holidays and traffic. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the UDOT traction law page for what applies to your own vehicle and tires.
Forest Service fee areas. New Recreation Enhancement Act fee areas took effect June 1, 2026. They apply to parking inside posted boundaries, including roadside parking, and not to driving through the canyon. In Big Cottonwood, the UDOT summary lists:
- Mill B / S-Curves: summer only
- Cardiff Fork, both sides of the road: year-round
- Donut Falls: summer only
- Spruces Winter Trailhead: winter only
- Silver Lake Recreation Complex: year-round
Passes cost $10 for three days, $20 for seven days and $60 for an annual Uinta-Wasatch-Cache pass.
The bus. UTA lists December 6, 2026 as the start of seasonal service for Route 972 and Canyon Service routes CS1 and CS2. CS3 is also on the list, but UTA notes it is sponsored service that depends on a partnering agreement with UDOT. UTA says more information will be posted in early November. A one-way fare is $5. Resort season passes, Ikon and the Super Pass include ski bus access. Two park-and-ride lots are in town: the Big Cottonwood Canyon Park-and-Ride at 3863 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Road and the 6200 South Wasatch Boulevard lot at 6520 S. Wasatch Boulevard.
The bigger plan is still a few winters away. UDOT's May 2026 decision approved a Big Cottonwood plan that includes a 1,750-stall mobility hub near the canyon mouth and buses initially running every 10 to 15 minutes. Improvements could start as early as the 2028 winter season. KUER reported that the plan's variable toll had no rate set yet and that UDOT was targeting fall 2028 to start operations. This winter, the resorts' parking rules are the ones that apply.
Before and after the canyon
A late-morning start leaves time for coffee near the canyon mouth. Alpha Coffee runs a Big Cottonwood Canyon shop at 7260 Racquet Club Drive that opens at 6:30 a.m. Cupla Coffee at 3412 E. Bengal Blvd. lists itself as about four minutes from the canyon, with hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily.
After skiing, the newest stop at the bottom of the canyon is The Yeti Bar & Lounge at 7333 Canyon Centre Parkway. It opened on New Year's Eve, according to Salt Lake Magazine, and serves food from The 14 Peaks. The Salt Lake Tribune also wrote about it as a new bar at the base of Big Cottonwood. Porcupine Pub & Grille at 3698 Fort Union Blvd. has been serving canyon traffic since its original mouth-of-canyon location opened in April 1998, and it offers weekend brunch. Farther west, Aroon Thai Kitchen opened a second location at 6945 S. 1300 E. in late 2025. Hours change by season, so check before you go.
If a winter with an easy drive to the canyon is part of how you picture your next home, Sue Ann Wilkinson can walk you through which Cottonwood Heights streets put the park-and-rides, the canyon mouth and these local stops closest to your door. Request a Complimentary Market Consultation, and we'll look at it together before the December reservation dates arrive.
