The Town of Alta is a small mountain community located at the head of Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Little Cottonwood Canyon is a west-facing break in the Wasatch mountain range which rises from an elevation of 5,000 feet above sea level at the mouth of the canyon to over 11,000 feet at the top of the watershed.
State Highway 210, a designated Scenic Byway, provides access to Alta from the Salt Lake Valley. The Town itself ranges in elevation from 7,500 ft to 9,500 ft. above sea level.
The Town harbors aspen, spruce, high alpine meadows and lakes, long-lasting snowfields and rocky tundra on granite cliffs. The vast display of over 170 varieties of wildflowers offer a colorful sight between July and October. There are over 40 varieties of birds in the canyon. Deer, moose, coyotes, and a rare mountain lion are the largest of the animals that roam the high country during the year.
An annual average of 500 inches snowfall provides for enthusiastic powder hounds and spectacular downhill skiing extending from November into May. Cross country skiers enjoy an even longer season. Hikers and bikers use the extensive network of trails through meadows and forests to lakes, snowfields, mountaintops and over passes.
Alta is renowned for its colorful and accessible history. For more exhaustive resources, please see the Alta Historical Society, the University of Utah’s Utah Ski Archives, or an excellent article appearing in the American Avalance Association’s 1988 edition of The Avalanche Review.
The first verified silver claim in Alta was staked in 1865. By 1872, several thousand seasonal residents lived in the formally unincorporated community of Alta, which grew rapidly to contain over 150 buildings. In 1873, population and activity declined due to numerous economic factors, and natural disasters including wildfire and large avalanches nearly wiped out human settlement in Alta during the late 19th century. New mineral discoveries made in 1904 prompted a second mining boom that eventually dwindled with the onset of the Great Depression in 1927.
In 1937 “Mayor” George Watson deeded 1800 acres of surface rights to the U.S. Forest Service for the development of a ski area, apparently as part of a deal with Salt Lake County for tax relief. The first Collins Lift was constructed in 1938 out of pieces of an old aerial mining tram. As home to America’s second chairlift, Alta is central to the history of American skiing. Alta Ski Area is the centerpiece of Alta’s modern economy, and it remains one of the world’s foremost skiing destinations.
The Town of Alta was not officially incorporated until 1970. Lee Bronson was appointed the first “president” of the Town, and he served for just 2 years until he was elected Mayor in 1972, when the Alta Planning Commission was also first appointed. The Town established an emergency dispatch center to provide support for the Alta Marshal’s Office. The Alta Justice Court began operation in 1975; the first justice court in Alta since the 1870s.
In 1978 Alta developed its first state-approved culinary water system, built in and around the Bay City Mine tunnel. The Alta Fire Station was completed in 1984 to house the volunteer fire department, although the Town of Alta now contracts with Unified Fire Authority of Greater Salt Lake for fire protection.
Mayor Levitt served until stepping down in 2004. Mayor Tom Pollard, previously a longtime town council member and General Manager at the Rustler Lodge, served as Alta’s second mayor from 2004 until 2017. Harris Sondak served as mayor from 2018 until 2021, when Roger Bourke was sworn in as Alta’s 6th mayor.
Alta is comprised of roughly 80 public lands, and those lands are part of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Alta is within a few miles of the Lone Peak Wilderness and the Twin Peaks Wilderness Area. The Lone Peak Wilderness was the first designated Wilderness area in the State of Utah.
Over twelve miles of designated National Forest System trails traverse the town. View the Alta summer recreation and trails map to learn the options. Visit the Uintah-Wasatch-Cache National Forest online here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/uwcnf.
Alta is located in a National Forest and within the Salt Lake City watershed area. Alta shares that watershed and is dedicated to protecting it, along with support from Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake Valley Health Department, the Unified Police Department and the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
The Town of Alta administration recognizes the importance of educating the public regarding natural resource issues and has spent considerable effort to mount interpretive signs, build restroom facilities, hire personnel, and develop trails.
For more information about the Town of Alta watershed area, please read the Salt Lake City Watershed Management Plan.
