Top of Little Cottonwood Canyon
Ski Utah · Top of Big Cottonwood Canyon
Brighton
Brighton is the locals’ hill at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, with laid-back lodges, tree skiing, strong terrain parks and some of the best night skiing in Utah.
Photo: Raman Patel · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Plan your visit: access, parking and practical details
Check the operator’s current fees, reservations, parking, transit, restrooms and accessibility arrangements before leaving. Confirm specific mobility or sensory needs directly with the venue.
Official visitor information ↗Snow report
Use the conditions page for mountain updates, lift and trail status, webcams and road information.
How to read a snow report
- 24-hour / 48-hour snowfall
- New snow over the stated reporting window. The 48-hour total includes the 24-hour window; don’t add them together.
- Base depth
- Snow on the ground at the resort’s reporting location, which can differ from conditions elsewhere on the mountain.
- Season snowfall
- Snow accumulated over the season’s reporting period, rather than the depth currently on the ground.
- Forecast
- A prediction of future snow, separate from measured snowfall. Snowfall alone does not establish which lifts or trails are open.
Use the source’s update date and time zone, especially around overnight storms. Off-season or stale reports may retain old readings. A missing or undated report does not mean no snow.
Brighton opened in 1936, and it still feels like a neighborhood ski area that happens to get 500 inches of snow. It was one of the first Utah resorts to welcome snowboarders, and its parks and side-hits keep that culture alive. Four peaks wrap the base, and almost every lift drops you back near the same lodge, so it is easy to meet up with family between runs.
Great Western and Millicent hold the steeper terrain, with lots of tight trees and powder stashes off the edges. Majestic and the Explorer area are where beginners learn, and on many evenings a big share of the mountain is lit for night skiing, which makes Brighton a favorite after-work stop for Salt Lake skiers.
Maps and mountain orientation
Use the resort trail map to compare base areas, lifts and named runs before setting out. Then check the operator’s mountain report for the lifts and trails scheduled to operate on your visit.
Official resort maps
Find this resort on the Utah and Wasatch locator maps →
Choose your arrival plan
For 2026–27, Brighton requires a parking reservation before noon on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and designated holiday periods. Qualifying passholders and carpools still need reservations when required. The Brighton Store lot is reserved for employees in winter unless attendants direct overflow there.
Known for
- Night skiing under the lights
- Snowboard and terrain park culture
- Tree skiing off Millicent and Great Western
- Relaxed, local vibe
Good to know
- For 2026–27, Brighton requires parking reservations before noon every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and on holiday periods (not Christmas Day), with a discount for cars of four or more. Book ahead, especially on powder days.
- The Town of Brighton also requires paid reservations for parking along the upper canyon road on weekends and holidays, so do not plan on roadside parking.
- Big Cottonwood Canyon has the same traction-device rules as Little Cottonwood. Chains or a 4WD/AWD vehicle with snow tires are required when the restriction is on.
- UTA ski buses climb Big Cottonwood from the valley and are free for Ikon and many local season passholders.
- Night skiing has its own lower-priced tickets. Check the schedule on Brighton’s site, since lit terrain and nights vary by month.