Big Cottonwood Canyon parking lot at Solitude controversy: protecting watersheds and preserving the canyon.

Big Cottonwood Canyon, just outside Salt Lake City, is one of Utah’s most beloved destinations. With world-class skiing at Solitude Mountain Resort and Brighton, plus endless summer hiking and climbing, the canyon is more than recreation, it is also a vital watershed providing drinking water to hundreds of thousands of residents. A proposed parking lot expansion at Solitude has stirred debate, raising serious concerns about watershed health, traffic congestion, and the canyon’s long-term sustainability.

Why the watershed is critical

Big Cottonwood Canyon is a protected watershed zone, meaning its streams and lakes directly supply Salt Lake City’s drinking water. Parking lots may seem harmless, but they increase runoff and pollution, carrying oil, heavy metals, and chemicals into waterways. With Solitude’s location high in the canyon, pollutants can move quickly into streams, compromising clean water that so many Utahns rely on.

Parking lots bring pollution

Expanding parking at Solitude would pave over sensitive ground, disrupt natural drainage, and magnify runoff from thousands of vehicles. Winter snow removal adds salt and chemicals, which can leach into the water table and damage alpine vegetation. Once a watershed is compromised, recovery is costly and often incomplete — prevention is the only real solution.

Traffic and canyon congestion

Big Cottonwood Canyon already struggles with congestion, especially on powder days and summer weekends. A larger lot at Solitude won’t reduce traffic — it will simply funnel more cars into the canyon. This means longer lines, more gridlock, and higher emissions. Smarter alternatives, like shuttle systems, carpool incentives, and expanded public transit, ease congestion while protecting the watershed.

Why Solitude’s parking expansion is the wrong answer

A Solitude parking lot may provide convenience for some skiers in the short term, but the long-term cost is too high. It endangers the drinking water supply, worsens traffic, and degrades the natural beauty that makes Big Cottonwood Canyon so special. Utah should focus on sustainable solutions — public transit, seasonal shuttles, and reduced car dependence — to balance recreation with conservation.

Big Cottonwood Canyon is a treasure worth protecting. Solitude’s parking lot expansion may appear practical, but it threatens the watershed, encourages more traffic, and undermines the canyon’s fragile ecosystem. Protecting drinking water and investing in sustainable transportation ensures Big Cottonwood remains a clean, accessible, and thriving destination for generations to come.