Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway
Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway is a State Scenic Byway in Utah. Within Utah it covers roughly 14 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
State Route 190 climbs Big Cottonwood Canyon about 15 miles from the edge of the Salt Lake valley to the resort communities of Solitude and Brighton, gaining several thousand feet through a glacially carved canyon of quartzite cliffs. Trailheads reach alpine destinations like Silver Lake and Lake Blanche, and in summer the byway connects over Guardsman Pass to Park City and the Heber Valley. Because the canyon is part of Salt Lake City's protected watershed, dogs and roadside overnight camping are not allowed.
- SR-190 to Brighton & Solitude
- Silver Lake & Lake Blanche
- Guardsman Pass (seasonal)
- glacial quartzite canyon
- ~15 miles
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What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.