SKI SLC › From the airport › Solitude

SLC airport to Solitude

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
34 mi
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

Solitude says 34 miles from the airport, the last 13 up Big Cottonwood Canyon. 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: Moonbeam lot: reservation required before 11am Friday–Sunday and holidays, Dec 18 to Mar 28. $35 for 1–3 people; free with 4+ (still reserve). New this season: free for everyone after 11am.

Bus: UTA 972 up Big Cottonwood from Dec 6, 2026. Free for Ikon and Solitude passholders.

Solitude resort guide →

Common questions

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

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, 34 miles.

How long is the drive from SLC airport to Solitude?

34 miles, about 45–50 min in good conditions. Solitude says 34 miles from the airport, the last 13 up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Drive time is our estimate.

Do I need 4WD to drive to Solitude?

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