Parking Restrictions in the Cottonwoods

PSA Announcement - Road Side Parking in the Cottonwoods

This year, UDOT has installed “no parking” signs near the Grit Mill Parking Area along Utah State Road 210 (Little Cottonwood Canyon Road).  Historically climbers have been parking in road side pull outs to access climbing areas along the Grit Mill Trail.  The Unified Police Canyon Patrol Unit is currently ticking illegally parked cars $150.  This is for public safety during the winter months.  Please consider parking in the Park and Ride or Gate Buttress Parking area to avoid this hefty fine. The SLCA will continue to try to work with the Forest  Service on ways to keep the Grit Mill parking area open for year round recreation in Little Cottonwood Canyon. 

Additional Information

Salt Lake County passed an ordinances on October 17, 2023 to increase parking ticket s in unincorporated areas within the tri-canyons. These revisions include:

  • Violations of the ordinance will result in a civil penalty

  • If a vehicle violates the rules, the person registered to the vehicle will be responsible for the parking violation

  • Violation fines range from $75 to $150 (an increase from $25)

  • The ordinance does not expand current “no parking areas,” but merely enhances the ability to enforce existing “no parking areas” with a stronger penalty and an improved process

  • Effective date: November 1, 2023

  • Parking enforcement in unincorporated areas in SL County is done by United Police Department (UPD) Canyon Patrol not UDOT. FS personnel occasionally issue parking violations but those are much cheaper (and usually only to prevent chaos around recreation sites).

  • Salt Lake County press release: https://slco.org/newsroom/salt-lake-county-announces-move-to-improve-safety-and-traffic-flow-in-little-cottonwood-canyon-and-big-cottonwood-canyon/

Additional resources:

Julia Geisler