Big Cottonwood Canyon

Introduction

Big Cottonwood Canyon lies about 20 miles southeast of Salt Lake City in the Wasatch Range and is one of the most celebrated four-season mountain canyons of the Salt Lake metro area, renowned for its dense big cottonwood and aspen forests and two world-class ski resorts. The canyon winds about 15 miles along Big Cottonwood Creek, rising from about 1,500 meters at the mouth to roughly 2,600 meters at the headwaters, with vegetation shifting dramatically by elevation from sagebrush at the mouth to dense mixed conifer and aspen forest mid-canyon and subalpine meadow and bare rock at the highest reaches. The canyon most famous residents are the paired ski resorts Snowbird and Brighton, with Snowbird known nationally for steep challenging runs and world-class powder and Brighton beloved for family-friendly skiing and summer hiking to lake basins. In summer the canyon transforms into a paradise for hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and stream fishing, with multiple alpine lakes and campgrounds along the way, a four-season mountain backyard for Salt Lake residents.

✨ Highlights

🛈 Practical Info