TL;DR
Alta closed its lift operations on 26 April following a 13-inch powder day, but uphill access remains open through the off-season. The mountain is now unpatrolled backcountry with no avalanche mitigation or emergency services - and you'll need to bring your own rescue capability.
Alta Shifts to Unpatrolled Uphill Access
Alta closed its 2024/2025 ski season on 26 April with 33 centimetres of fresh snow, which seems like a reasonable send-off. The lifts have stopped spinning and on-mountain dining has shut down, but the mountain remains accessible for uphill travel through the off-season. Worth noting that Alta's lift operations ended roughly mid-season by northern hemisphere standards - resorts in Colorado and parts of Europe often spin chairs into May.
What's Actually Open
Uphill access is available, though Alta has made it clear this is now backcountry terrain. There's no ski patrol, no avalanche mitigation, and no emergency services. If something goes wrong, you're responsible for your own rescue. Equipment may be scattered across the mountain without warning markers, which is standard for closed ski areas but still worth remembering when you're skinning up in low visibility.
Access to Snowbird through Alta's terrain is not permitted during uphill operations. Whether this restriction is consistently enforced in practice is another matter, though the official policy is explicit.
