Backcountry Access

Right from the gates at the Canyons.

When you look at the extraordinary pictures in Powder Magazine’s annual photo issue, a very high percentage of them are from Wasatch backcountry. And a lot of that terrain is accessible just out of the gates at the top of the Canyons. The same is true for ski movies by such iconic filmmakers as Warren Miller and Teton Gravity Research.

Unlike most other ski resorts in Utah, Canyons does have an open access policy to the backcountry. Which means you can take the lifts up, head out of the gates, tour around Big Cottonwood Canyon, and come back into the resort at the end of the day.

But You Have to be More Careful.

Yes, the backcountry is beautiful. Yes, the scenery is dramatic. Yes, the snow is untracked. But, there is one big caveat: there is no avalanche control, and no ski patrol to come get you.

Anyone venturing into the backcountry should be fully prepared with beacon, shovel, probe, and the avalanche training to know how to use them. You should also always have at least one other experienced rider with you, and know the avalanche forecast. Click here for today’s avalanche forecast.