Everyone
Scenic byway canyon above Salt Lake City on State Route 190
Big Cottonwood Canyon lies in Salt Lake County southeast of Salt Lake City. State Route 190 follows a 15 mile scenic byway through the Wasatch Range to Solitude, Brighton and Silver Lake. Hiking, climbing, fishing and camping fill the summer, and two ski resorts run all winter. It is protected watershed, so dogs and swimming are prohibited, and winter driving follows the Cottonwood Canyons traction law.
About the Big Cottonwood Canyon
Big Cottonwood Canyon opens off Wasatch Boulevard at 7000 South in Cottonwood Heights, southeast of downtown Salt Lake City, and State Route 190 climbs about 15 miles past Solitude and Brighton to Silver Lake. Driving the byway is free. The Forest Service charges only at five designated fee areas: Mill B and the S Curves and Donut Falls in summer, the Spruces winter trailhead in winter, and Cardiff Fork and the Silver Lake Recreation Complex year round. As of August 2026, a pass costs $10 for three days, $20 for seven days, or $60 for the Uinta Wasatch Cache annual pass, and the America the Beautiful pass is honored.
The canyon is protected watershed. Salt Lake City Public Utilities prohibits dogs, horses and other domestic animals here, with narrow permit exceptions for canyon residents and for search and rescue teams, and Salt Lake County enforces the same rule. Swimming, wading and motorized boating are prohibited, and waders are required in the lakes and streams. These source waters supply nearly 60 percent of the utility’s drinking water customers.
Winter changes the drive. UDOT holds State Route 190 to a stricter traction law than ordinary roads. When the beacons at the canyon mouth flash, tires need at least 5/32 inch of tread, all wheel and four wheel drive vehicles need M+S tires at minimum, and two wheel drive vehicles need three peak mountain snowflake tires or traction devices on two drive wheels. Parking in marked avalanche zones is banned from November 1 through May 15, and Guardsman Pass, the State Route 190 link to Park City, closes from about November into May or June.
As of August 2026, UDOT notes the park and ride lots nearest the canyons fill by 8:30 a.m. most days, and the Town of Brighton requires a reservation for roadside parking on winter Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holiday periods. UTA Route 972 runs in ski season from the Midvale Fort Union station and the park and ride at 6200 South Wasatch Boulevard up to Solitude and Brighton, $5 each way and free with a Brighton, Solitude or Ikon pass.
The boardwalk loop at Silver Lake near Brighton starts at the visitor center and is wheelchair accessible, Donut Falls is a short summer hike from its own trailhead, and the Spruces and Redman campgrounds sit at 7,500 and 8,300 feet. Backcountry camping is allowed on Forest Service land in this canyon, half a mile from any road and 200 feet from water and trails.
