Brighton will see many changes this offseason, including a modern six-pack chairlift that will be replacing the Crest Express, and a new mid-mountain lodge. Unfortunately, one of these changes will be the introduction of paid parking reservations.
Parker Malatesta from KPCW reports that Brighton will require reservations for the 2023-24 season. If you are not a Brighton season passholder, a reservation will cost $20 on most days and $25 on holidays. If you park up there without a reservation, you will face a $75 citation, and stiffer penalties will ensue if you continue to go without reserving.
If you arrive after 1 pm, parking is free, and you won’t need a reservation. If you carpool with three or more people in your vehicle, parking will be free. In terms of how people will make reservations, those details will be announced at a later date.
Brighton season passholders will be able to park for free, but will still need to reserve a spot. Before the season, passholders will receive For Ikon Passholders, you will need to reserve your spot to ski (like last season) and Brighton will also require you to make a parking reservation if you plan to drive up there. You can read more about the paid parking plan here.
The move is clearly being done to try and fix the traffic mess that exists in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Solitude already has paid parking, and will likely introduce a reservation system of its own for this coming winter. Brighton’s parking capacity is pretty minimal compared to other major ski resorts in Utah, with the lot being filled up even before opening on peak dates. A change is definitely necessary, but the cost is pretty steep. We’ll see if it improves the situation when the lifts start spinning again in the late fall.
Image Credits: Brighton Resort
