Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah, is touting the success of its parking reservation system implemented this winter, which required skiers and snowboarders to reserve parking spots before arriving at the slopes.
A recent blog post from Solitude claimed that with parking reservations in place, drive times in Big Cottonwood Canyon were reduced by as much as 60% compared to previous season, barring difficult weather and road conditions. Thanks to carpooling incentives, the number of vehicles with four-plus occupants was up 57% or more during Solitude’s busiest days.
Starting December 15th, 2023, Solitude mandated parking reservations on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and during holiday periods for arrivals before 11 a.m. Reservations cost $35 unless a driver had four occupants in their car, in which case they were free.
Reservations were no longer required after 11 a.m., but skiers still paid to park with the same cost structure on a lot availability basis. Once 1 p.m. hit, parking became free. (Solitude remains open until May 12th. Its paid parking and parking reservation programs have concluded for the season.)