The Cottonwood Canyons were busier than ski season last weekend

New bike trails will open soon at Solitude Mountain Resort. Photo: Solitude Mountain Resort/Marc Lodmell

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah — The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) said Big Cottonwood Canyon averaged 10,000 vehicles over the weekend.

Typical ski season days typically yield somewhere between 6,000 – 7,400 vehicles.

UDOT said that six of the top 10 highest volume traffic days of 2021 were in the last 10 days.

Little Cottonwood Canyon recorded an average of 8,300 vehicles last weekend. The highest ski days there typically bring between 5,800 and 7,700 vehicles.

“It’s an indicator that the Cottonwood Canyons, it’s not only about skiing and snowboarding. There’s a strong interest in getting out and experiencing everything that Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon have to offer year round,” UDOT spokesman John Gleason told FOX13.

“This last weekend is a great indicator that there is a strong interest year round in the canyons.” He said UDOT is “not just solely focused on the winter season.”