Alta is a resort in Utah (United States) skied between 2598 and 3373 metres, with 2,614 acres of skiable terrain and 8 lifts.
Alta is in Utah, United States, with the base at 2598 m and the top at 3373 m.
Alta has not announced its 2026/27 season dates yet: its own site (alta.com) lists them as to be determined. Its usual opening falls around November 21, 2026, which is our own estimate from the resort's altitude and past seasons, not a published date. As soon as the resort announces it, it will be at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/alta.
Alta is expected to close for the 2026/27 season on April 19, 2027. The real date depends on how the snow holds up at the top (3373 m) late in the season, and the resort usually announces it only a few weeks ahead: the up-to-date version is at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/alta.
It changes daily and the resort itself publishes it every morning: snow depth by altitude, open runs and open lifts. The Alta daily report and forecast are at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/usa/alta, and the live cameras at https://www.caranva.app/en/webcams/esqui/alta. When it blows hard, the most exposed lifts are usually the upper ones (3373 m), so it is worth checking before driving up.
Between 2598 and 3373 metres, a vertical drop of 775 m. That difference is why the snow is not the same across the whole resort on the same day: the upper slopes hold up better late in the season, while the lower part, at 2598 m, is the first to feel rain or warm weather. That is why the Alta report is read by altitude band, at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/usa/alta.
2,614 acres of skiable terrain, 118 runs and 8 lifts, between 2598 and 3373 m. North America measures its size in acres rather than kilometres of piste, and that is the figure the resort itself publishes in its fact sheet.
On Caranva you book the full kit for Alta — skis, boots and poles, or a snowboard if you prefer — at https://www.caranva.app/en/shop/esqui/alta: you pick the dates and give your height, weight, shoe size and level, and the gear is waiting assembled with the bindings set to those figures. You pay online, you skip the sizing counter, and you can swap the gear in the shop if something does not fit. The alternative is walking into a shop at the resort on a first-come basis, which over a bank holiday or at Christmas means queuing for whatever is left.
15% of Alta's terrain is beginner level, according to the breakdown the resort itself publishes. That share tells you far more about whether it works for a first time than the overall size of the ski area: a huge resort with 5% easy terrain makes a worse first day than a small one with 30%.
The resort breaks its terrain down like this: Beginner 15%, Intermediate 30% and Advanced 55%. The difficult terrain sits mostly up high, to 3373 m, which is where the snow keeps best and where visibility goes first in bad weather.
Yes. The live Alta webcams, with piste conditions and the snow report, are at https://www.caranva.app/en/webcams/esqui/alta.
In the same valley or the next one: Snowbird (2,500 acres, up to 3353 m). Comparing their top altitudes helps when snowfall is scarce: the ones that top out higher tend to open earlier and hold on longer at the end of the season.
The rental shops we have found in Alta, with address, opening hours, phone and Google rating.