Little Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway

Utah

National Forest Scenic Byway

Map

Byway Details

Designation
National Forest Scenic Byway
Length
11 mi in Utah
Managed by
Forest Service

About Little Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway

Little Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway is a 10.8-mile drive in Utah's Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, within the Salt Lake Ranger District. The route links the towns of Granite and Alta, and the Forest Service manages the land along it. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Cottonwood Weir weather station show May highs around 71°F and September highs near 79°F, while July averages about 91°F. The byway makes a good base for other outings. Tanners Flat Campground and the Little Cottonwood Creek Trail sit right along the route, and Lisa Falls is close by. Lake Catherine, about a mile away, offers fishing.

Scenic byway data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Jun. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 61–82°F and lows of 39–57°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Cottonwood Weir, UT weather station, 3.2 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan38° high23° low
  2. Feb44° high27° low
  3. Mar54° high34° low
  4. Apr61° high39° low
  5. May71° high48° low
  6. Jun82° high57° low
  7. Jul91° high67° low
  8. Aug89° high66° low
  9. Sep79° high56° low
  10. Oct64° high43° low
  11. Nov49° high32° low
  12. Dec38° high23° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Towns along the route
Granite · Alta

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Salt Lake Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 2 miles of the route, PostGIS distance)