Equipment Allowed and Restricted
Alta Ski Area is for skiers and restricts the use of equipment other than skis for anyone who wants to ride the lifts and ski the mountain or play around the base areas. Skis need to have metal edges, retaining devices and bindings that face forward and attach to alpine or nordic ski boots. Commercially manufactured mono skis, bi-skis, sit skis or outriggers may be used by skiers with disabilities.
Please leave at home or in your vehicle, equipment that is restricted and prohibited such as snowboards, split boards, snow bikes, snow skates, ski blades, saucers, lurks or anything longer than a regular ski pole.
Please be courteous and cooperate with Alta employees if you are informed that certain equipment is not allowed.
Essential Eligibility Criteria
You need to be able to independently or with the assistance of a companion be able to do the following:
- Get to and from the parking areas.
- Properly put on and take off your ski equipment.
- Get to, and through, the lift mazes and RFID gates.
- Load, ride and unload the lifts safely.
- Ski on appropriate trails and areas, control speed and return to base areas.
- If you fall, get up and continue skiing.
Your responsibility code
- Always stay in control. You must be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.
- People ahead of you have the right-of-way. You must avoid them.
- Stop only where you are visible from above and do not restrict traffic.
- Look uphill and avoid others before starting downhill or entering a trail.
- You must prevent runaway equipment.
- Read and obey all signs, warnings, and hazard markings.
- Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
- You must know how and be able to load, ride and unload lifts safely. If you need assistance, ask the lift attendant.
- Do not use lifts or terrain when impaired by alcohol or drugs.
- If you are involved in a collision or incident, share your contact information with each other and a ski area employee.
Winter sports involve risk of serious injury or death. Your knowledge, decisions and actions contribute to your safety and that of others. If you need help understanding the Code, please ask any ski area employee.
Children Riding Ski Lifts
Alta Ski Area has reviewed children riding chairlifts or conveyors and is making some adjustments.
- Children who are in backpacks, chest packs, carried inside another skier's coat or anything similar will not be allowed to load chairlifts or conveyors.
- To load chairlifts or conveyors, children need to be in ski boots and bindings on their skis and able to stand on their own.
- Children need to load and sit on the chairlift seats and not on other skiers' laps.
On-Mountain Service Animal Policy
Alta Ski Area does not allow service animals or emotional support animals on open chairlifts, ski runs or ski terrain at the ski area during the ski season, based on the legitimate safety requirements determined by Alta Ski Area regarding the safety of other guests and employees, as well as for the safety of service animals and handlers. Animals that are not service animals are restricted from Little Cottonwood Canyon due to the Watershed Protection Ordinance.
This policy is pursuant to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and federal regulations at 28 C.F.R. 36.301 et seq.
At base area premises or facilities, a service animal must be under the control of its handler. The service animal shall have a harness, leash or other tether, unless either the handler is unable because of a disability to use a harness, leash or other tether, or the use of a harness, leash or other tether would interfere with the service animal’s safe, effective performance of work or tasks, in which case the service animal must be otherwise under the handler’s control (e.g., voice control, signals or other effective means).
Alta Ski Area will request a service animal be removed from base area premises or facilities if: (1) The animal is out of control and the animal’s handler does not take immediate effective action to control it; or (2) The animal is not housebroken. If the service animal is removed, Alta Ski Area will make reasonable efforts to give the individual with a disability the opportunity to participate in the service or activity without having the service animal on the premises or facilities.
If a guest with a service animal seeks to visit an area on the mountain for a special event, Alta Ski Area will evaluate and reasonably attempt to provide alternative transport to the event on the mountain through an over-snow-vehicle (snowmobile, tracker or snowcat). The mountain location, terrain and/or weather conditions, time of event, safety of other skiers and other variables may prevent such a transport. Given the winter environment, extreme terrain and weather conditions, Alta Ski Area recommends that guests provide as much advance notice as possible when requesting unique transport to a special event.
Uphill Travel At Alta Ski Area
During the ski season when Alta Ski Area has 24-hour-a-day operations with avalanche mitigation, grooming, maintenance and downhill skiers, the only uphill travel area that Alta Ski Area approves is the Summer Road* when it is open. Any other uphill travel is a safety issue for our employees and skiers and interferes with our operations and the product Alta Ski Area prepares and sells to our skiers.
*The Summer Road starts at the gate where State Road 210 ends and may be used to access areas outside of our ski area boundaries. Generally, when the Summer Road is closed, you should be able to get to the south-facing slopes above the Town of Alta.
Uphill Travel at Alta Ski Area >
Drones, Model Aircraft and paragliders
Because of safety and privacy concerns, Alta Ski Area prohibits the operation or use of unmanned aerial systems or drones (including model aircraft by recreational users and hobbyists) within or above the ski area boundaries without a prior written authorization, which will require unique circumstances that benefit Alta Ski Area. This prohibition includes drones used for filming, as well as any drone use by media or journalists. Please submit any request for prior written authorization to Brandon Ott at info@alta.com or Call 801.799.2263.
Paragliders, speed gliders and similar devices are also prohibited with no exceptions.
Inherent Risks of Skiing
The Utah Inherent Risks of Skiing Statute provides that a skier may not make any claim against, or recover from, a ski area operator for injury resulting from inherent risks of skiing, which are listed on trail boards at the ski area and below:
- Changing weather conditions.
- Snow or ice conditions as the snow or ice conditions exist or may change, including hard pack, powder, packed powder, wind pack, corn, crust, slush, cut-up snow, or machine-made snow.
- Surface or subsurface conditions, including bare spots, forest growth, rocks, stumps, streambeds, cliffs, trees, or other natural objects.
- Variations or steepness in terrain, whether natural or as a result of slope design, snowmaking or grooming operations, or other terrain modifications, including:
- Terrain parks.
- Terrain features including jumps, rails, or fun boxes.
- All other constructed and natural features, including half pipes, quarter pipes, or freestyle-bump terrain.
- Impact with lift towers, other structures, or their components, including signs, posts, fences or enclosures, hydrants, or water pipes.
- Collisions with other skiers.
- Participation in, or practicing or training for, competitions or special events.
- The failure of a skier to ski within the skier's own ability.
Your Season Pass
Alta prices its season passes and cards on the basis they will only be used by the persons whose photos are linked to them. Your pass should only be used by you.
In fairness to all the skiers who play by the rules, Alta employees monitor pass and card use to identify those skiers who need some encouragement to be more honest about riding Alta lifts.
It is a serious deal if someone, even a family member, uses your pass. Your pass may disappear, your money may disappear (a misuse fee) and sometimes the Town Marshal may appear.
Carrying Things on the Lift Ride
Anything other than your ski poles that you want to transport up a lift needs to be in a small or medium size backpack or a waist pack.
Privacy Policy
Alta keeps this privacy statement under regular review.