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Just 15 miles south of Salt Lake City sits Little Cottonwood Canyon which is home to two famous ski mountains – Snowbird and Alta. The only way to travel up the mountain is a narrow 10 mile two-lane road. The recent boom in the Salt Lake City housing market has significantly increased the number of people travelling up this road. Because of complications with building new roads along a narrow canyon, the Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola project offers an alternative travel method to the popular ski destinations.
For other maps about cable cars / gondolas, check out posts on Mi Teleferico in Bolivia and Teleférico do Alemão in Rio de Janeiro!
Note: above Wikipedia link is to the general page for Little Cottonwood Canyon, not specifically the gondola project
See the interactive Google Map at the bottom of the post!
Three key facts about this map
The Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola would save hours of sitting in traffic
The only way to travel up the mountain currently is a curvy two-lane road. While without traffic this could be an easy 30-minute drive, this is now not the norm anymore. From 2000 to 2020, the Salt Lake City area has experienced a population increase of about 30% due to its popularity with outdoor enthusiasts. This has brought strain on the infrastructure of the region, especially the narrow roads to access the outdoor activities that attract these residents in the first place. Little Cottonwood Canyon today can experience traffic of several hours, instead of the typical 30 minutes, due to massive overcrowding issues.
While the gondola plan is expensive, the cheapest alternative is still $355 million
The Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola plan is one of several options being considered, though is the preferred option by the Utah Department of Transportation. Other options being considered include:
- Enhanced bus with no change in current roadway (coupled with methods to reduce low-occupancy vehicles by tolling or permitting) – $355 million
- Enhanced bus with widened, dedicated bus lanes – $510 million
- (Preferred option) Gondola from La Caille (current recommended gondola route) – $550 million
- Gondola from the Lower Cottonwood Canyon Park-and-Ride (coupled with additional buses) – $561 million
- Cog railway from La Caille – $1.1 billion
It is important to note that the upfront capital is not the only cost – ongoing annual maintenance is also very important to consider. Many of the bus options have high operating costs.
Snowbird bought the plot of land at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon
Back in 2021, the company that operates Snowbird purchased a plot of land at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon through an LLC registered at the same address as Snowbird corporate offices. The reason behind this was to not raise any flags or present an opportunity to delay the purchase from those in opposition. From Snowbird’s perspective, the land represents the opportunity to keep the “gondola” pathway as a viable solution. Many critics think the deal was shady and non-transparent.
Snowbird has a vested interest in building the gondola since it will remove barriers that potential visitors face in getting to their mountain. Because of this, Snowbird plans to gift the land to the Utah Department of Transportation if the Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola option is chosen.
Additional links and sources
- Official Utah Department of Transportation website on gondolas (link)
- Article about traffic woes in Little Cottonwood Canyon today (link, published in 2023)
- Article about ownership of parcel of land at base of the canyon (link, published in 2022)
What is your opinion of the proposed Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola?
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