Alta Ski Resort Review

Alta Ski Resort, or Alta Ski Area, is 30 miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah, in the Wasatch Mountains. It is at the head of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Alta is one of only three ski resorts in America to prohibit snowboarders. The other two are Mad River, in Vermont, and Deer Valley, in Utah.

There are 116 trails at Alta with 25% for beginners, 40% for intermediates and 35% for advanced skiers. The longest run is 1.4 miles. The runs are accessed by 7 chairlifts, 2 hi speed quads, 1 hi speed triple, 1 fixed triple and 3 fixed doubles. There are also 3 surface tows and 1 moving conveyor. The vertical drop of the mountain is 2, 020 feet with an annual snowfall of 514 inches. There are 2,200 acres of skiable terrain.

Many visitors to Alta come for the 5km groomed track where they can cross country ski. The Alta Ski Shop rents classic, skate, telemark and snowshoes. If you need lessons visit the Alf Engen Ski School. Another attraction at Alta is the snowcat skiing. In the Grizzly Gulch Bowl, above Alta, is a pretty amazing 375 acres of bowl skiing. The cat skiing areas are Black Bess, Matilda Bow, Grizzly Cup, City Rocks, Freeland and East Bowl. The snowcat tours include 5 runs for $310 per person.

View of Little Cottonwood Canyon at Alta ski area, Utah.
Thanks to wikipedia.org for the picture.

Lessons of all types are available at Alta. The children's programs are the All Day Adventure, the Half Day Adventure, the All Day Mini Adventure, the All Day Explores, the Afternoon Explorers and Private Adventures. They also have parent/tot private lessons. There are plenty of classes for adults of all skill levels. For beginners there is the First Time on Skis class. Intermediate and advanced skiers can improve their skill with the Moguls, Powder and All class. Some of the other classes are Improve Your Turns, Discover Green Runs, Intro to Blue Runs, Ski the Upper Mountain and Beyond the Blues.

Alta has five lodges where you can spend the night plus an abundance of condos and vacation homes. All the lodges, except Alta Peruvian Lodge, are ski-in ski-out. Alta Peruvian is a short shuttle ride to the lifts. The different lodges are Alta Lodge, Snowpine Lodge, Alta's Rustler Lodge, Goldminer's Daughter Lodge and Alt Peruvian Lodge.

For dining in the base area your choices are Snowpine Lodge, Shallow Shaft, Alta Lodge, Alta Java, Albion Grill and Goldminer's Daughter. Mid mountain food is served at Alf's Restaurant, Baldy Brews, Watson Shelter and Collins Grill.

Mount Baldy, at Alta ski resort, Utah.
Thanks to wikipedia.org for the picture.

The Alta Children's Center is the place to leave your little ones if you want to ski without them. They have a safe and fun place where your kids will be taken care of. It is recommended that you make reservations ahead of time as space can be limited. You can call 801-742-3042.

Snowbird Ski Resort is the closest resort to Alta, so close in fact they share a mountain and you can buy lift tickets that allow you to ski both resorts. Other resorts in the area are Deer Valley, Brighton, Solitude, The Canyons and Park City Mountain Resort.

Alta Ski Area is open from mid November until mid April. Their hours are from 9:15 to 4:30 daily. Their address is Alta Ski Area, Highway 210, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta, Utah 84092. Their number is 801-359-1078.

Alta Ski Resort Map & Directions (click on "Marker" for your personalized directions)