Updated for 2026!
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.
The areas you enjoy hiking and how often you plan to go will determine whether 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:
- Cardiff Fork/Mill D Trailhead (year-round)
- Donut Falls Trailhead (summer)
- Spruces Winter Trailhead (winter)
- Silver Lake Recreation Center (summer)
- White Pine (year-round)
- Mill B Trailhead (Starting June 1, 2026, check site for updates)
- Trailhead Grit Mill Trailhead (Starting June 1, 2026, check site for updates)
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 (good across the whole UWC National Forest)
- America the Beautiful Pass (AKA National Parks Pass): $80
*Note that days must be consecutive for 3- and 7-day passes.
How to purchase a REA Pass
Local Vendors: Gear Room, SkimoCo, IME, Brighton Store, Solitude Mountain Resort (Local vendors sell the passes listed above, but cannot sell “specialty” passes)
Forest Service Offices: sell all the passes, along with “specialty” America the Beautiful Passes (Veteran, Access, Senior, 4th grade, etc.)
At Recreation Fee Sites: visitors can buy a 3-day or 7-day pass by scanning the QR code or visit recreation.gov ***This service relies on cell service for purchase. It requires license plate information that allows FS to verify purchase.
On-Site Automated Fee Machine: (ONLY at Cardiff and White Pine) Paid by credit card and provides a printed receipt to be placed in the vehicle's windshield.
***Sites in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons do not have fee envelopes for cash
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 or from other federal land managers.
Fee-Free Days
The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest waives recreation fees at most day-use sites on lands managed by the agency. Participation by concession-operated sites may vary.
The 2026 fee free dates are:
- Jan 19, 2026: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Feb 16, 2026: President's Day
- Apr 22, 2026: Earth Day
- Apr 25, 2026: National Volunteer Day
- May 25, 2026: Memorial Day
- June 6, 2026: National Trails Day
- Jun 13, 2026: National Get Outdoors Day
- Jun 19, 2026: Juneteenth
- July 04, 2026: Independence Day
- Aug 04, 2026: Great American Outdoors Day
- Sep 11, 2026: National Day of Service
- Sep 17, 2026; Constitution Day
- Sep 26, 2026: National Public Lands Day
- Oct 27, 2026: Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday
- Nov 11, 2026: Veterans Day
Mill Creek Canyon
Mill Creek Canyon 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 shuttle, Park City is charges an hourly fee. The trailhead shuttle, called the “Purple Line,” is available Friday through Sunday and runs about every 20 minutes. Visit Park City Transportation for scedule and details.
How to pay:
Parking fees are $5 an hour 8am–4pm on weekdays and $8 an hour 8am–4pm 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 Ski Area 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 Wildcat and Albion 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.
