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Lifts & Terrain

Brighton Ski and Snowboard Terrain Brighton ski resort is a freestyle haven for snowboarders. That doesn’t mean that skiers won’t enjoy the terrain at Brighton, but the ratio of skiers to boarders has a major bias towards the boarder. There are lots of riders at Brighton, especially in comparison to the tranquil Solitude. The abundant snowfall, terrain parks, and value for money are aspects that attract the masses.

The terrain is somewhat varied and includes groomed trails, drop-offs, natural terrain parks, a few chutes, and lots of mellow tree skiing. There is a spread of terrain for all abilities, but in comparison to other Cottonwood Canyon resorts, there is only a smidgen of expert terrain.

Mountain Layout The resort is divided into two sides, Majestic and Millicent. The Millicent side is serviced by one lift and is largely for advanced and expert riders. The trees are very sparse or absent in the top section where there are wide open bowls, short chutes and drop-offs. The Majestic side is larger and has many more trees. There is lots of terrain for beginners and intermediates, as well as tree skiing for advanced riders. To get between the two sides there are Majestic and Milly access trails, but you’ll need to pay close attention to the trail map to find them. Otherwise the access between the two areas is a walk across the car park.

Interconnected with Solitude Brighton is interconnected with Solitude ski resort which provides another 486 hectares of terrain. The two ski areas are interconnected via the aptly named SolBright ski run, which is only appropriate for very confident intermediates and above. Sometimes the SolBright run is not groomed and it becomes worthy of black run status. Depending upon avalanche risk and weather conditions, the SolBright run may not always be open. The alternative to get to Solitude is to use the bus. There is some talk of future development of a Sol-Bright chair lift which would enable even better access to Solitude.

The Solitude ski area has some similarities to Brighton, but the slopes are relatively devoid of skiers and snowboarders, and there is a much wider range of steeps and great fall line skiing through the gladed trees.

Brighton Lifts The chair lifts are well placed and the resort is proud that 100 percent of the terrain is accessible via high speed lifts. Three of the lifts run at night time and over 200 acres of terrain are illuminated including the terrain parks.

Lift Tickets Skiing at Brighton is incredibly affordable for families. An adult day pass is inexpensive, but a child day pass (ages 7-12) is incredibly good value and is the cheapest in all of Utah. The pricing structure has different time frames to incorporate night skiing including a super-day pass (9am-9pm), twilight (12:30pm-9pm) and night (4-9pm). Single ride tickets are also available, and Sol-Bright tickets cost a little more to enable joint access to Solitude.

Brighton doesn’t sell multi-day passes, so the only opportunity for multi-day discounts is to use the Salt Lake Super Pass which provides slight concessions and incorporates access to Brighton, Solitude, Alta and Snowbird. The pass also covers the cost of the UTA bus. 

Various ski shops in Salt Lake City sell discounted lift tickets for Brighton including SkiTruck.com, Casco, Ski N See and Canyon Sports. The discount is generally about $7-8 per day for an adult lift pass.   

Brighton runs regular education sessions on avalanche precautions for the young folk (and old folk), and as an incentive for attendance they offer a free lift pass to attendees.

Snow and weather conditions When Utah boasts having “The Greatest Snow on Earth” they are really referring to Brighton and the other three Cottonwood Canyon resorts. The only problem with Brighton is that fresh powder doesn’t last for long. Once a storm dumps the snow there are masses that rip it up very quickly. The powder on Millicent in particular lasts a Milli-second, but there is a higher likelihood of finding some secret stashes in the gladed areas on the Majestic side.

Early in the season or when the base is low, the Millicent side commonly has inadequate cover with lots of rocks poking through. Black runs suddenly become much trickier when half the challenge is to dodge the rocks. Brighton has snowmaking facilities, but only for some of the beginner and park areas.

For the Beginner Brighton has great beginner terrain which is another reason why it is popular with families. The Explorer chair has dedicated green runs, so novices don’t need to contend with hoons speeding past them. The next progression is the Majestic chair. Confident beginners can then proceed onto the Snake-Creek Express, although take careful heed of the signs as the green and blue runs are somewhat intertwined in this area.

For the Intermediate Brighton is an adventure park for intermediates as they can choose trails in all parts of the resort. The runs off the Crest and Snake-Creek lifts are probably the easiest, followed by the runs off Great Western, whilst the blue runs on the Millicent side are a little steeper.

The lightness of the snow is perfect for learning to ski powder and there are plenty of off-piste places to experiment. The mellow glades off Hawkeye and Scout are a good place to play, and there are lots of other spots to duck off the groomers temporarily to test the mettle.

For the Family/Kids Brighton has a few lifts where families can stay together, choose different trails to descend, and meet again at the bottom of the lift. The Majestic lift at the main base area is common for family congregations, with a range of terrain for differing abilities, terrain parks, a half pipe, and ski school all located in close proximity.

Brighton Parks and Pipes Brighton was the first mountain in Utah to allow snowboarding and has continued the tradition of courting snowboarders with four terrain parks. The main terrain park is located in a good position for riders to show-off to those sitting on the Majestic lift. The Upper Majestic park is more suited to advanced riders, whilst the Lower Majestic is more applicable to all ability levels. The features are ever-changing, so boredom is unlikely. There is a half pipe adjacent to the Majestic parks, and another two parks off the Crest Express suitable for all riders. Brighton has a dedicated website for the terrain parks. Check it out for more information on their parks and pipes. Mother Nature has also created various other natural terrain parks at Brighton.

Advanced Ski and Board Terrain The Millicent area has some of the best advanced terrain. Off to the skiers’ left are an infinite number of lines through open areas, and it is easy to pick suitable lines to avoid the drop-offs. On the right there are also opportunities to be creative. Part way down the lines become a little more challenging as the drop offs become more prolific and other lines pass through chutes. These aren’t too narrow, and so long as there is adequate snow cover, these will be managed by advanced riders.

Some great tree riding is on offer on the Majestic side, particularly between the trails off the Great Western lift. Stick to Elk Park initially, and then pow and great lines are there for the taking. Some of the trails don’t follow the fall line particularly well, so much more fun can be found by being inventive and picking your own line.

Expert Ski and Snowboard Terrain Brighton has some expert terrain, but it is not as extensive as other Utah resorts, and some double black runs border on only being worthy of single black status. The upper reaches of the Millicent side has open faces with drop-offs, and challenging lines can be found further down in the Spaghetti area and the Captain Hook trees. Further tree runs are at the top of the Snake Creek Express, and a hike to Snake Bowl is particularly rewarding. To the left of Wren Hollow is some good tree riding, but don’t stay in too long or it will be a long jaunt out of the cliff area. Off the top of the GW lift, there are four short precipitous pitches. Other than that, experts won’t find much to entertain them and they’ll need to go out of bounds if conditions permit.

For the Powderhound Brighton has an open boundary policy with various exit gates, and a multitude of out-of-bounds areas for experts to explore. Only those with backcountry experience and equipment should venture out of bounds. Avalanches are very common, so check the risk ratings and always take a buddy. Many of the areas also have cliffs, so if you don’t know where you’re going, get a guide or take it very slowly.

The Cliff area is easily accessed from the Millicent side and is a popular backcountry spot. Another common choice is to traverse right off the GW lift where there are some pitches of about 55 degrees amongst well spaced trees. When the gradient starts to taper off, return to the resort unless you’re happy for a hike up the road back to the GW.