Wasatch Wildflower Festival returns to Cottonwood Canyons ski resorts
Jul 8, 2025, 7:00 AM | Updated: 8:56 am
A pond is pictured at Solitude Mountain Resort during the 2024 Wasatch Wildflower Festival on July 14, 2024. (Mariah Maynes/KSL NewsRadio)
(Mariah Maynes/KSL NewsRadio)
SALT LAKE CITY — Beginning July 12 and spanning two weekends, the Wasatch Wildflower Festival will highlight blooms at four of Utah’s ski resorts.
The event provides opportunities to enjoy and learn about the alpine wildflowers that bloom in the canyons during summer.
According to Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, the nonprofit partnering with the ski resorts in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons, each event will begin at 9 a.m. and last until 2 p.m.
“Our naturalists have been studying all spring for the big event,” wrote Cottonwood Canyons Foundation in an Instagram post.
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Events are free to attend but registration is required. These are the dates and locations:
- Brighton on July 12
- Solitude on July 13
- Snowbird on July 19
- Alta on July 20
According to the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, registration data is used to report participation rates to the U.S. Forest Service, as well as the organization’s other partners. They will not provide personal information when they share the data.
According to Snowbird’s website, the annual event “celebrates the beauty and ecological diversity of wildflowers in the Wasatch Mountains.”
Wasatch Wildflower Festival provides recreation, views for all abilities
Cottonwood Canyons Foundation said it has identified more than 300 species in the Wasatch Mountains. Hikes of different levels will help Wasatch Wildflower Festival attendees take in the views.
For example, Snowbird’s website said there will be four hike options offered on July 19: kids, easy, moderate and advanced.
Although the event is free to attend, the Wasatch Wildflower Festival registration page explains moderate and advanced hikes at Snowbird and Solitude will require the purchase of a lift ticket.
At Solitude, a valid 2025-26 IKON pass will allow free entry to lifts during the festival.
Solitude’s Link lift provides access to the 2024 Wasatch Wildflower Festival on July 14, 2024. (Mariah Maynes/KSL NewsRadio)
Guided tours will be offered to those who want to learn from a knowledgable volunteer. They’re slated to leave approximately every 20 minutes, according to the festival registration page.
In addition to learning about the area’s abundant wildflower population, attendees will also learn about the surrounding forest and watershed.
Hike difficulties, explained
Similar to most hiking trail ratings, easy walks take less time to complete and will provide a “minor” elevation change, according to Cottonwood Canyons Foundation.
Moderate walks will require more elevation change and last about two hours, while advanced walks will require approximately three hours and feature the most elevation gain.
When selecting a hike, be realistic about how long you want to spend on the trail and how much you feel you’re capable of.
Identifying wildflower species
The event is the perfect opportunity to practice your wildflower identification skills. If you’re interested in developing the skill, consider picking up a Wasatch-specific flower field guide.
FILE—Wildflowers bloom in Albion Basin near Alta Ski Area in Aug. 2004. (Larry A. Sagers)
Wildflower identification apps can also help you sharpen your skills.
Consider photographing species and adding prints to a notebook, where you can jot down the dates you saw certain species.
“Take only photos, leave only footprints”
As the saying, popularized by the National Park Service goes, “Take only photos, leave only footprints.” Leaving natural areas as we find them is essential to preserving nature, even outside of designated national parks and forests.
Whenever you venture out to observe wildflowers, the U.S. Forest Service urges the practice Leave No Trace principles to protect the area’s ecology.
Do not remove any wildflowers from the area, during or after the 2025 Wasatch Wildflower Festival.
Removing flowers and plants from the wild, through picking and attempted transplanting, does more than ruin the beautiful scenery for those that come later. It also can harm the environment.
The U.S. Forest Service said wildflowers, and other native plants, support the ecosystems that revolve around them. They provide food and shelter for some creatures, like small birds, pollinators, and insects.
Remain on designated trails and avoid trampling over any plant species you see.
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