Activities & Tours

Alta is a magnet for those who love their skiing, so not surprisingly the main activities in and around Alta are….. well skiing.

Ski Tours and Activities Alta offers guided snowcat skiing in Grizzly Gulch for advanced to expert riders. The terrain area is only small (325 acres), but the chances of skiing untracked powder are much higher than in the resort. Amazingly, the cat skiing is open to snowboarders, so long as they don’t venture across into the resort. Five runs cost $310. Contact the ski school for more information and reservations.

Other backcountry skiing opportunities are with the Alaska Mountain Guides who offer trips varying from half a day up to a week. They use the Alta chair lifts to access the backcountry areas, but you’ll still have to work hard for your ski reward.

No hiking is required for backcountry skiing with the Interconnect Tour. Perhaps a little side-stepping, and plenty of traversing, but no actual hiking – yippee! This skiers-only tour covers multiple Utah ski resorts as well as the backcountry areas between them. The tours that depart Snowbird (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) include Snowbird, Alta, Brighton Ski Resort and Solitude. 

If you really want to save all your energy for skiing, then the ultimate backcountry skiing experience is heli-skiing with the Wasatch Powderbird Guides. Deep dry powder, virgin snow, and interesting terrain – what more could any powderhound dream of? The heli-port is located on the Alta bypass road about a kilometre or two from Alta (they provide shuttles).

Cross-country skiing is also available at Alta. The track is only 5km long, but considering the tightness of the Little Cottonwood Canyon, this is pretty impressive. Tickets are available at the Wildcat Base ticket office, and the rental shops hire out X-country gear as well as snowshoes.

Relaxation Alta has a day spa at the Rustler Lodge. The menu has mainly a range of yummy massage options including hot stone therapy and therapeutic massage. Prices aren’t as ridiculous as those at the nearby Cliff Lodge (Snowbird), but prices are even better with Cottonwood Canyon Massage (801 349 2769   801 349 2769) who make house calls for 60 mins for $100.

Many of the lodges and condos at Alta have hot tubs and other relaxation facilities such as saunas.

Also see Snowbird for further information on activities in the area.