Understand
Home to Alta Ski Resort and legendary Utah powder.
Alta is a small town on the outskirts of Salt Lake City. It is primarily a ski resort at which snowboarding is prohibited. The resort is for both local skiers and avid outsiders wanting to enjoy the mountain.
While Alta exists only as a ski resort today, the town has an interesting history. It was a mining town in the 1800s to 1900s. The first verified silver claim in Alta was staked in 1865. In 1937, the mayor of Alta gave acres of surface rights to the U.S. Forest Service for development of a ski area. Norwegian skiing legend Alf Engen was hired to help develop the area, and Alta opened its first ski lift in 1938. The first Collins lift was constructed in 1938 out of pieces of old aerial mining tram. As home to the second chairlift in US history, Alta played a major role in the creation of the modern day ski resort model. Skiing remains the main industry in the town.
In addition, Alta keeps up with the modern times, and is going green. The Alta Environmental Center states its primary goal is to strive for sustainability and to continuously investigate viable ways to decrease Alta Ski Area's carbon while maintaining a healthy business.
