Located east of Salt Lake City, Utah, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Big Cottonwood Canyon and Mill Creek Canyon compose a critical and magnificent ecosystem. The tri-canyons are located within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, one of the most highly-visited portions of national forest in the nation, with over 5 million visitors each year. The Canyons, formed by glaciation and featuring extraordinary vistas, draw visitors seeking warm weather recreational opportunities such as hiking, camping, fishing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and bouldering. The canyons are also home to Brighton, Solitude, Snowbird and Alta ski resorts, providing skiing, snowshoeing, and backcountry use opportunities. The Cottonwood Canyons serve as a vital watershed, providing approximately 60% of the drinking water for Salt Lake City. Finally, the Canyons are world-renowned for their wildflowers and provide a spectacular landscape for the Wasatch Wildflower Festival.

The Cottonwood Canyons Foundation believes it is imperative to educate the public about the canyons’ unique importance and how the public can help promote the canyons’ ecological health. The Cottonwood Canyons Foundation also aims to provide the community with direct and hands-on ways that individuals can give back to this environment through volunteering and stewardship.

It is our belief that if we all better understand the importance of this area, and if we all take part in helping to steward it, the Cottonwood Canyons will continue to be a healthy environment and watershed, and a spectacular place to recreate for generations to come.