Are you planning a ski trip to Salt Lake City, Utah? Are you on the Ikon Pass? Keep reading to learn my top tips for using the UTA Ski Bus, which routes to take, and how to save money using the Utah Ski Bus this ski season!
If you plan to ski in Utah, specifically at Alta or Snowbird (UTA Ski Bus 953) or Brighton or Solitude (UTA Ski Bus 972), I HIGHLY recommend taking the UTA ski bus for the following reasons:
- It’s FREE with your Ikon Pass or any of the individual resort passes. Bonus, it’s FREE for everyone in February 2022 as well!
- You can avoid paying for parking at Solitude and Snowbird (Parking is free at Brighton and Alta).
- You won’t have to worry about making parking reservations for various resorts.
- You can arrive any time of the day and even sleep in! Enjoy a slow relaxing morning instead of an early wake-up call because you don’t have to worry about the parking lots filling up.
- Don’t have an AWD car or rental car? Take the ski bus! Avoid a potential wreck or driving in dangerous conditions and take the ski bus!
- Plus, it’s more sustainable than driving in your individual car!
There are THREE Utah ski buses and you can use the UTA website and app to track the location of the buses:
- Route 953 – Midvale to Snowbird/Alta
- Route 994 – Sandy to Snowbird/Alta
- Route 972 – Midvale to Solitude/Brighton
Where should you park to catch the bus? There are several park and ride options and here is the one I recommend:
- The three stars indicate the top 3 choices for bus stops and/or park and rides! I personally recommend the Holladay Park & Ride since it has a larger parking lot and the other two stops for staying at a nearby hotel (listed below).
- Holladay Park & Ride: Both Route 972 (Brighton/Solitude) and Route 953 (Alta/Snowbird) stop here! This lot is one of the larger lots and you are almost always guaranteed to get a spot on the bus. There are a few stops after this location, but the buses often fill up at this location so I recommend getting on here at the latest. The route starts much farther back, but save your time and park at this park and ride!
- Stay at one of the following hotel recommendations to enjoy the temporary bus stop!
Looking to stay at a hotel ON the bus route? Here are 3 hotels I recommend that are close to a temporary bus stop for BOTH UTA Ski Bus 972 and UTA Ski Bus 953:
- B: Hampton Inn Salt Lake City Cottonwood: This is my top choice for a hotel because the bus stop is IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL! This is the last stop before the Holladay Park & Ride. It honestly doesn’t get any easier than staying here! You can save money and skip the car rental, because you can take the ski bus from the hotel and there are several bars and restaurants within walking distance! I gave my friend this exact recommendation to my friend and they booked it for their upcoming trip to SLC!
- A: Residence Inn by Marriott Salt Lake City: Just a short walk to the ski bus stop, this is another great hotel option (also where I stayed) and it’s in the same area for all the restaurants and bars nearby.
A few things to note about taking the Utah Ski Bus:
- The UTA ski bus service runs from December 12, 2021 – April 17, 2022, for this ski season. I recommend checking the UTA website each season for the updated dates.
- I recommend checking the times for each ski bus because they come at various times!
- Make sure you take the correct bus from Alta/Snowbird since there are two buses.
- If you skip the car rental and stay at one of the hotels on the bus route, the Uber/Lyft can range from $40-$70 each way. Use this link to get $15 off your first Lyft ride. You can also schedule the car with the hotel for a locked price.
I hope this post helps you save money and helps you plan for your next Utah ski trip!
With wanderlust,
Haley
Halesyah 
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