Big Cottonwood offers plenty of vertical drops and downhill skiing, but it also has a large Nordic center located between Solitude and Brighton where you can snowshoe or ski through the forested area.
The Solitude Nordic Center has a total area of 20 kilometers of groomed cross-country tracks. It is accessible from Brighton or Solitude Resort. The main entrances are from Solitude Village or the Silver Lake Visitor’s Center located in the Brighton Loop.
Aside from the 20 kilometers of track, there is also 10 kilometers of well-marked snowshoe trails that meander throughout the Nordic area. The snowshoe trails are separate from the skiing trails, and snowshoers are asked to walk off the groomed part of the ski track, on the snow.
Day passes, ski and snowshoe rentals and lessons are available at the Day Lodge at the Silver Lake Visitor’s Center. Day passes are $15 and a half-day is $10. Cross-country ski packages start at $15, and snowshoe packages start at $18.
Snowshoers and skiers who want to hike any of the backcountry trails in the area where trailheads start at Silver Lake can do so without having to pay for a trail pass. Just be sure not to linger on the groomed trail or stray from the intended hiking trail. The trails are policed, and you will be fined for using the trail without paying.