Alta is a town in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 370 at the 2000 census, a slight decrease from the 1990 figure of 397.

Alta is also a ski resort that has 500,000 visitors a year. It is known for its powder skiing and its refusal to allow snowboarding. It is a favorite of local skiers, located just above the resort of Snowbird.

Alta City was founded about 1870 to house miners from the Emma mine, the Flagstaff mine, and other silver mines in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Sensationally rich silver ore in the Emma mine enabled its owners to sell the mine at an inflated price to British investors in 1871. The subsequent exhaustion of the Emma ore body led to the recall of the American ambassador to Great Britain, and Congressional hearings in Washington.

There are not very many homes in the Alta area, as most are cabins with no year round access. There are many homes and condos located at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon, starting in the $300,000’s and going up into the multi-million dollar price range.