Using Uber or Lyft from SLC Airport to the Ski Resorts

Uber and Lyft both work from SLC airport to the ski resorts, and the ride to Park City is a straightforward interstate trip on a clear day. Rideshare picks up on the ground level of the terminal in the B lane, and Uber's own route page puts the average UberX fare to Park City at about $73.

Where it gets less reliable is winter canyon driving, big piles of ski gear, kids who need car seats and, most of all, the ride back from a resort.

Where Uber and Lyft pick up at SLC

After baggage claim on Level 2, head down to the ground level. Rideshare pickup is in the middle lane, called the B lane, and marked with curbside signs. The airport lists Lyft, Park City Rides and Uber as licensed to pick up there.

Sources differ on the exact columns. The airport's 2025/2026 curb map shows Lyft and Uber pickup at 6B to 9B, while Lyft's help page for drivers says 6B to 10B. Hotel shuttles use the other end of the same lane (1B to 5B), so walk past them. The app shows your pickup spot when the driver accepts. Our SLC airport ground transportation guide has every lane and column number.

What the ride costs

Uber publishes average fares for the airport to Park City run. Its page is labeled "Updated December, 2024", and Uber says these are averages, not fixed or guaranteed prices.

Uber gives the trip as 36 miles and 41 minutes on average. Uber notes that times and costs change with traffic and other factors, so a snow day or a holiday weekend can mean a longer and pricier ride. We couldn't find an Uber route page for the Cottonwood resorts, so check the app for those.

Park City vs the Cottonwood Canyons

To Park City, Deer Valley and Canyons Village, the ride is I-80 through Parleys Canyon. UDOT can activate the traction law on I-80 in Parleys and on Marsac Avenue in Park City when conditions call for it. Most of the time a rideshare car gets you there without any trouble.

To Snowbird, Alta, Solitude and Brighton, the rules are tighter. Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons are a stricter traction law zone. When the beacons outside the canyons are flashing:

• AWD and 4WD cars need at least M+S tires on all wheels (or traction devices, or snowflake-rated tires),
• 2WD cars need snowflake-rated (3PMSF) tires on all four wheels, or chains or snow socks on two drive wheels,
• tires need at least 5/32 inch of tread.

Police check cars at the canyon mouths and can turn back ones that don't comply. Since 2025, UDOT can require compliance up to 24 hours before a storm arrives.

The Cottonwood roads can also close completely for avalanche control, sometimes for hours. No ride of any kind goes up then. With a pre-arranged ride, you can agree on a plan with the company before you fly. With rideshare, you find out when you request.

Ski bags, groups and kids

With UberX you don't know what size car is coming, and two people with ski bags and suitcases can fill a smaller one. For a family or a group, you're looking at UberXL or UberXXL, or two cars, and you won't know until the car shows up whether the skis fit inside.

Car seats are on you. Uber's guidelines, as reported by KPLC in 2023, say riders must provide car seats for small children, and drivers may decline a trip if carrying a child without one would break local law. Lyft says to plan on bringing your own seat. Utah requires a car seat or booster for every child under 8 who is under 57 inches, and the law has no rideshare exception. Our guide to a Utah ski trip with kids has the details.

Getting back: the hard part

Getting from the airport to a resort with rideshare is easy because the airport is busy and drivers are there. The ride back is different. When you want to leave a resort, you need a driver who is nearby and willing to take a long trip down to the airport, and you can't confirm that in advance.

That's a bigger risk:

• from the Cottonwood resorts at the end of the day, when the canyon roads are busy and the traction law may be on,
• for early-morning flights, when you can't afford to wait,
• on holiday weekends, when everyone checks out at once.

If you're staying in Park City, two free backups exist. Park City's buses and High Valley Transit's 10X and 101 get you to Kimball Junction, and the free 107 bus runs from there to downtown Salt Lake, where TRAX goes to the airport. The public transit guide has the timetable, but with buses only about every 90 minutes, it's a backup for a midday flight, not a dawn one.

In the Cottonwood Canyons, UTA's ski buses run down to the valley in season ($5 one way, included with Ikon and resort season passes), but not to the airport.

Rideshare vs a pre-arranged private ride

For two people with light bags heading to Park City on a clear afternoon, rideshare is hard to beat on price. For a family, a group with skis, a Cottonwood canyon destination or an early flight home, a booked ride removes the guesswork. Our partner, Elite Transportation, runs private SUVs for up to 4 passengers with luggage and Sprinter vans for up to 14, and tracks your flight on arrival.

Compare every way to make the trip, including shared shuttles and the bus, on the SLC airport to Park City route guide.