Big Cottonwood Canyon is a 15-mile canyon in the Wasatch Range southeast of Salt Lake City, carved by Big Cottonwood Creek and forming one of the main mountain canyons along the Salt Lake Valley. Reached by Utah State Route 190, it is a year-round recreation area for hiking, climbing, camping, fishing, and winter skiing at Brighton and Solitude. The canyon is also valued for alpine lakes, notable rock formations, and rich biodiversity, including the Wasatch shooting star found only there. Beyond recreation, it is an important protected watershed supplying drinking water, a role that has influenced limits on animals and controversy over development proposals.