Big Cottonwood Canyon Ski Homes

The view from the top at Brighton. Photo: Gian Sexsmith

About Big Cottonwood Canyon

Big Cottonwood Canyon (SR-190) starts at Wasatch Boulevard and Fort Union Boulevard in Cottonwood Heights and climbs to Solitude and Brighton, roughly 32 to 35 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport. Both resorts sit inside the Town of Brighton, incorporated in 2020, where most homes are seasonal. Guardsman Pass closes in winter, so the canyon becomes a dead end.

• Solitude (Alterra Mountain Company): unlimited days on the Ikon and Ikon Base passes, plus the Solitude Nordic Center.
• Brighton (Boyne Resorts): on the Ikon Pass (7 days) and Ikon Base Pass (5 days), with night skiing.

Ski homes in the canyon

Private cabins and mountain homes cluster around the Brighton Loop and Silver Lake, in Silver Fork, and in other private pockets along the canyon. Solitude Village offers condos in buildings like Powderhorn Lodge, Creekside, Eagle Springs and the Inn. Some cabins sit on Forest Service land under a recreation residence permit, where you own the cabin but not the land, so read the permit terms closely.

Near the canyon mouth

Cottonwood Heights sits right at the canyon mouth, and Holladay and Olympus Cove and Willow Creek are a short drive away.

Driving up Big Cottonwood Canyon after a storm. Photo: Gian Sexsmith

What buyers should know

• Watershed rules: like Little Cottonwood, the canyon is Salt Lake City watershed. Dogs are banned except for limited resident permits, construction needs a watershed letter, and homes must connect to sewer if a line is within 300 feet.
• Winter driving: the canyon is under Utah’s strictest traction law, and Brighton and Solitude use paid parking or reservations, especially on busy days.
• Transportation: UDOT’s May 2026 decision calls for a parking garage and transit hub at the canyon mouth, frequent buses, upgraded stops and a variable toll, targeted for fall 2028. No gondola is planned here. Toll exemptions for residents have been discussed but not finalized.
• Wildfire: Guardsman Pass offers a second way out only in summer, and state foresters have flagged Silver Fork as a high wildfire-risk area.

Summer in the canyon

Silver Lake, Lake Catherine and Lake Solitude, lift-served biking and disc golf at Brighton, Solitude’s bike park and scenic lifts, and the Guardsman Pass scenic drive. See also: Little Cottonwood Canyon ski homes, Park City ski-in/ski-out homes.

Homes for sale in Big Cottonwood

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