SKI SLC › From the airport › Brighton

SLC airport to Brighton

A car makes Big Cottonwood much easier: there’s no shared airport shuttle and rides down are scarce. If you skip it, plan around the 972 bus.

Distance
—
Drive, good conditions
about 45–50 min
Ski bus season
From Dec 6

Your options

Rental car

About 45–50 min in good conditions

When UDOT switches on the canyon traction rule (flashing lights at the canyon mouth, sometimes a day before a storm), cars need AWD or 4WD with M+S or snowflake-rated tires and at least 5/32″ of tread, or chains. Police turn non-compliant cars around and can now write tickets. What to book at the rental counter. Brighton and Solitude need parking reservations on busy mornings.

Most flexible

Private transfer

Quotes vary by company and group size

Solitude points visitors to Utah Mountain Shuttle; Canyon Transportation and others also run private transfers. Ask whether the vehicle meets the traction rule.

Best without a car

TRAX + ski bus

$2.50 TRAX plus $5 bus (bus free with Ikon and resort passes)

TRAX from the terminal, transfer toward Midvale Fort Union, then UTA 972 up Big Cottonwood. Ski buses start Dec 6. Plan on well over an hour.

Cheapest

Uber or Lyft

Varies

Easy enough going up; rides down from Big Cottonwood are scarce. Don’t rely on one at 4pm.

One-way only

Prices are the operators’ published rates as of 28 Oct 2026 and change often. Book shuttles ahead in peak weeks.

Driving notes

Brighton doesn’t publish an airport figure. It sits just above Solitude, which is 34 miles from the airport. Drive time is our estimate.

Before you book a rental car: When UDOT switches on the canyon traction rule (flashing lights at the canyon mouth, sometimes a day before a storm), cars need AWD or 4WD with M+S or snowflake-rated tires and at least 5/32″ of tread, or chains. Police turn non-compliant cars around and can now write tickets. What to book at the rental counter.

Once you’re there

Parking: Reservation required before noon every Friday–Sunday and holiday period. $25 for 1–3 people, $10 for 4+. Free Monday–Thursday and every day after noon.

Bus: UTA 972 from Midvale Fort Union Station and Big Cottonwood park-and-rides. Starts Dec 6, 2026; $5, free with Brighton passes and Ikon.

Brighton resort guide →

Common questions

How do I get from Salt Lake City airport to Brighton?

A car makes Big Cottonwood much easier: there’s no shared airport shuttle and rides down are scarce. If you skip it, plan around the 972 bus. By car it’s about 45–50 min in good conditions.

How long is the drive from SLC airport to Brighton?

about 45–50 min in good conditions. Brighton doesn’t publish an airport figure. It sits just above Solitude, which is 34 miles from the airport. Drive time is our estimate.

Do I need 4WD to drive to Brighton?

Only when UDOT switches on the canyon traction rule, which happens in and before storms. Then you need AWD or 4WD with M+S or snowflake-rated tires (at least 5/32 inch tread), or chains. Book a guaranteed-AWD class at the rental counter.

Other airport guides