Salt Lake Ranger District
The mountainous Salt Lake Ranger District is the classic "urban" forest where more than a million people reside in the adjacent Salt Lake, Davis and Tooele Counties. The annual snowpack is both an important source of water for local communities and a draw for alpine skiers worldwide seeking the "Greatest Snow on Earth." The district's proximity, scenic beauty, and year-round recreation opportunities means that it is a beloved and busy place. An ongoing challenge for the district is to carefully balance the natural resource capabilities with public needs and desires. The public, in turn, plays a crucial role in keeping the district a vibrant place to visit and play.
General Information
Salt Lake Ranger District
6914 South 3000 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
(801) 733-2660
Mon-Fri: 8:00am - 4:30pm
The Silver Lake Visitor Center hours are 11-4:30, 7 days a week, through the month of August.
Watershed
The Salt Lake District is unique in that the land it manages supplies more than 60% of the drinking water for Salt Lake City residents. The Salt Lake City Watershed includes:
- Little Cottonwood Canyon
- Big Cottonwood Canyon
- Parley's Canyon, north & east of Mountain Dell Reservoir
- Little Dell Canyon (toward East Canyon)
- Lambs Canyon
- Emigration Canyon from Burr Fork and Killian Canyon to the intersection of State Highways 65 and 172.
- City Creek Canyon
Rules and regulations have been put in place to protect this valuable water resource. Some of the restrictions include prohibiting domestic animals allowed in the watershed, no pollution of any kind in the watershed, and no backcountry camping within 200 feet of any water source, swimming is not allowed.
Passes & Permits
Permits
The Salt Lake Ranger District does not issue firewood cutting or Christmas tree cutting permits. The Salt Lake Ranger District has discontinued the rock permit program. The Bureau of Land Management, Salt Lake District office does issue rock permits for their area. Contact them at (801) 977-4300 for information, and directions to the office.
New recreation fee sites are being implemented on the Salt Lake Ranger District through a phased approach.
>>Learn more about which pass is right for you.
Mill Creek Canyon- User fee
$5.00/per car
$3.00/senior
$50.00/yearly pass.
Fees are paid when you leave the canyon.
The upper gate (winter gate) in Mill Creek Canyon is always closed on November 1st.
Please note: Interagency and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest passes are not valid at Mill Creek Canyon.
Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons are watersheds: NO PETS ALLOWED EVEN IN VEHICLES.
Rentals & Guides
Big Water Yurt reservations: 801-483-5473
Yurt: Located 4.5 miles past the winter gate in Mill Creek Canyon (just above Maple Grove parking area).
Capacity: Max. 8 people
Rental Fee: $75.00, includes 4 vehicle passes
Amenities: wood heating/cooking stove/table and benches
Restroom: Next to yurt
Big Water Yurt Information
Complexes
The Silver Lake Recreation Complex offers a variety of activities. In the summer months (May-October) this area requires a recreation pass and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service- Salt Lake Ranger District and volunteers from the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation.
In the winter months this area is operated by Solitude Nordic Center.
Recreation Sites
Adams Canyon Trail #614
Albion Basin Campground
Alexander Basin Trail #310
Antelope Canyon Trail
Bair Creek Trail #613
Beartrap Fork Trail #161
Bells Canyon Trail #452
Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway
Big Water Trail #312
Birches Picnic Area
