After the snow melts and wildflowers start popping, I like to hit the trails for a hike. Luckily, there’s no shortage of spectacular trails throughout the Wasatch and the Uintah Mountains.
Hiking has become so popular in these areas that local agencies have stepped up to maintain and improve the trailheads. This does create a budgetary strain, so they have also added parking fees to keep up.
While signage and payment options are obvious at these trails, you may miss one key piece of information that could save you money. A pass you may already have might cover the fee. For example, the annual National Parks Pass is honored at many local trailheads.
In which areas you enjoy hiking and how often you plan to go will determine if you should buy a pass (if you don’t have one already) or pay as you go.
Let’s dig into the details:
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest encompasses 2.2 million acres in Northern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. Here I’m covering trails within the Salt Lake Ranger District (SLRD); however, you can find fee details for other districts HERE. Note that a pass bought in one district will be honored in the entire Forest.
In the Salt Lake Ranger District:
- Cardif Fork/Mill D Trailhead (year-round)
- Spruces Winter Trailhead (winter)
- Silver Lake Recreation Center (summer)
Upcoming SLRD Fee Sites:
- Summer 2025 (still free as of last report): Mill B Trailhead, Donut Falls Trailhead, White Pine
- Summer 2026: Trailhead Grit Mill Trailhead, Picnic Sites (Dogwood, Ledgemere, Birches)
Again, here is a link to check for fees at all trails within Uintah-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
How to pay:
The passes below are valid at trails outside of the SLRD as well.
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest REA (Recreation Fee Area) Pass Options
- Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest 3-day Pass: $10*
- Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest 7-day Pass: $20*
- Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Annual Forest Pass: $60
*Note that days must be consecutive.
How to purchase a REA Pass
At REA fee sites, visitors can use the posted QR codes to pay online through recreation.gov
Purchase 3- or 7-day pass (credit card only) If the site is out of cell service, the rec.gov app can be used to purchase passes online (most sites on the SRLD have cellular service).
Salt Lake Ranger District (credit card and cash)
Purchase all pass types (3-day, 7-day, Annual UWC Forest, America the Beautiful) Salt Lake Ranger Station: 6944 S 3000 E, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121 open Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM (closed Federal Holidays)
Third Party Vendors: Brighton Store, Gear Room, IME, Skimo Co
Purchase an Annual Pass with Credit from a 3-day or 7-day Forest Pass
If you purchase a 3-day or 7-day UWC Forest pass from recreation.gov, bring your receipt to the Salt Lake Ranger Station to exchange for credit toward purchase of an annual pass (during the days the pass is valid)
America the Beautiful, Interagency Pass: $80
Also called the National Parks Pass, Federal Recreational Lands Pass
This is the best deal if you’re an avid hiker and plan to visit National Parks as well.
- Valid for one year at UWC REA sites, at other federal REA sites, and for entry into National Parks.
- Types of Interagency passes: Senior, Military, Access, Fourth Grade (prices vary). These passes may be purchased at Forest Service Offices, from other federal land managers.
Fee Free Days
Fees are waived at Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest on the following days:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Presidents' Day
- Earth Day
- National Volunteer Day
- National Trails Day
- National Get Outdoors Day
- Juneteenth
- August 4, 2025: Great American Outdoors Day
- September 11, 2025: National Day of Service
- September 27, 2025: National Public Lands Day
- November 11, 2025: Veterans Day
Mill Creek Canyon
This area stands alone when it comes to passes because it is co-managed by the Forest Service and Salt Lake County. Other passes will not work here.
How to pay:
Pay as you exit the canyon.
Daily Millcreek Pass:
- $5 per car
- $3 per car for Seniors
Annual Millcreek Pass:
- $50 for twelve consecutive months
- $30 for Seniors
Park City – Bonanza Flats Fee Area
Bonanza Flats includes trailheads such as Jupiter Peak, Empire Pass, and Bloods Lake, where traffic congestion has become an issue. In an effort to encourage carpooling and to fund a future shuttle, Park City is now charging an hourly fee. The shuttle called the “Purple Line” will launch later this summer.
How to pay:
Parking fees are $5 an hour on weekdays and $8 an hour on weekends. Visitors can also pay at kiosks onsite or on their phone.
Because Park City residents in the 84060 zip code already pay towards the bond that helped secure and preserve this area, they are exempt from the parking fee once they register their license plates with the city.
Town of Alta
Alta is home to some of the most stunning trails in the Wasatch, such as the Cecret Lake Trail. There is a summer road that opens late June or early July, leading to the Albion Basin Campground and several trailheads. All the trails are accessible without driving the road; it simply shortens your hike.
The fee to drive the road is $12, or you can park for free in the main parking lots before the road and extend your hike a little.
How to pay:
Pay at the Summer Road Fee Booth near the beginning of the road. Cash or credit cards are accepted, and self-pay is required when the staff is not present. I believe it’s worth paying the fee to drive the road because it’s not only convenient it also helps maintain this beautiful area.
