Storm Mountain Amphitheater is a stone amphitheater in Big Cottonwood Canyon, built into an oak grove at the base of Storm Mountain and backed against a cliff of the same rock. Old-growth trees hold the site in full shade, so the light stays soft and dappled whatever time of day the ceremony runs, and there’s a creek nearby.
It’s a no-frills, nature-first ceremony site, a Forest Service amphitheater built for ranger talks rather than wedding parties, and that turns out to be the whole appeal. Couples choose it for the affordability, the DIY energy, and the fact that it doesn’t ask anyone to work around a resort’s expectations.
Storm Mountain Amphitheater Wedding Quick Facts
Location — Storm Mountain Amphitheater sits about 3 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon, roughly 30 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City.
Capacity — Storm Mountain Amphitheater holds up to 200 people, and the reservation covers 15 vehicles.
Cost — A four-hour amphitheater block is $159 on Recreation.gov’s current fee schedule, up from $115 in 2023. The three group day-use sites run $153 each, and $10 is charged for each vehicle past the 15-vehicle limit.
Season — Storm Mountain Amphitheater’s current booking calendar runs roughly late April through mid-October, though the exact opening and closing dates shift year to year, so confirm the current season before you set a date. Big Cottonwood Canyon Road itself stays open all year for Solitude and Brighton traffic, which is a different fact from when the amphitheater itself is bookable.
Catering — There’s no in-house catering and no required caterer at Storm Mountain Amphitheater, so couples bring their own food and vendors.
Lodging — There’s no lodging at Storm Mountain Amphitheater itself. Nearby options include Solitude Mountain Resort or Brighton Resort up the canyon, and Springhill Suites or Hyatt Place in the city. It’s a day-use site, and the gates close at 10 p.m.
Coordinator — There’s no in-house wedding coordinator at Storm Mountain Amphitheater, so you’re planning and running the day yourself or with your own hire.
Accessibility — Storm Mountain Amphitheater is ADA-accessible. Recreation.gov marks all three reservable amphitheater blocks accessible directly, and the Forest Service separately notes that picnic-area roads and paths are paved. Confirm what you need with the Salt Lake Ranger District before you book.
Pets — Dogs aren’t allowed at Storm Mountain Amphitheater outside of service animals, because Big Cottonwood Canyon is a protected watershed, and the Forest Service can fine an owner for it.
Curfew — Gates at Storm Mountain Amphitheater open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m., so a wedding here has to be packed up and out by then.
Storm Mountain Amphitheater Wedding Info
A wedding at Storm Mountain Amphitheater is a reservation on a public picnic ground rather than a booking with a venue. That shapes everything below it: what you get, how long you have it, and how much of the day you bring in yourself.
Ceremony Sites at Storm Mountain Amphitheater
The ceremony site is a stone amphitheater built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s: a cement patio with stone tiers and wooden bench seating, set in an oak grove at the base of Storm Mountain and backed against a stone cliff.
A bulletin board at the center can be decorated for the ceremony. All three reservable blocks carry full shade, so there’s dappled light through old-growth trees whatever time of day the ceremony runs. Because it’s a working Forest Service amphitheater, there’s a movie screen behind the stage, and most couples cover it with drapes.
Reservations run in three time blocks: morning from 8 a.m. to noon, afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m., and evening from 6 to 10 p.m. Each is booked separately, so more than one group can use the site in a single day, though you can also book all three and hold the space for the full day if all three are open on your date.
Amplified music isn’t allowed, which rules out a PA, a DJ rig and a plugged-in band, and is the single fact most likely to change how you plan the ceremony and the party after it.
Reception Spaces at Storm Mountain Amphitheater
The block you reserve is also the reception space. There’s no separate building. Four group sites, the amphitheater among them, and several single sites make up the day-use area, most with picnic tables and campfire rings, some with grills and serving tables. Roads, parking spurs and footpaths are paved, and there are horseshoe pits on site.
Flush toilets are provided at the trailhead, but there’s no drinking water, so bring your own. There are no electrical, water or sewer hookups anywhere on the site, which is worth telling every vendor before they quote you.
Getting Ready, Lodging & Guest Logistics
There’s no lodging at Storm Mountain Amphitheater and no getting-ready space; the trailhead bathrooms aren’t set up for that. It’s a day-use site, with gates open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For guests coming from out of town, Solitude Mountain Resort and Brighton Resort are the closest mountain options, with Springhill Suites and Hyatt Place among the city hotels. The reservation covers up to 15 vehicles at 18 feet maximum length, and a fee is charged on site for each vehicle past that.
Camping isn’t allowed within a half-mile of any road in the Big Cottonwood watershed, though Storm Mountain’s own developed sites are exempt from that restriction. Off-road vehicles, fireworks and wading in the creek are all prohibited.
Cancelling within 14 days of the reservation forfeits the full fee, and there’s a service fee on any booking. Dogs aren’t allowed outside of service animals, because Big Cottonwood is a protected watershed, the same restriction that applies up every canyon like it, and it’s enforced with a fine.
Storm Mountain also works for the night before a wedding you’re holding somewhere else. The group sites make a casual barbecue easy.
Catering & Vendors at Storm Mountain Amphitheater
There’s no preferred vendor list and no exclusive caterer at Storm Mountain Amphitheater. Couples bring their own catering, rentals and decor, and every vendor needs to know in advance that they’re working with no power, no water and a hard 10 p.m. gate. Nothing is published on decoration limits beyond the standing bans on fireworks and explosives.
A separate Forest Service special-use permit is required nationwide for any noncommercial gathering of 75 people or more on National Forest System land, with an application due at least 72 hours ahead.
That’s a federal rule rather than something written for Storm Mountain specifically, so it’s reasonable to assume it applies here the same way it does at Spruces Campground up the same canyon, though it hasn’t been confirmed whether booking an amphitheater block through Recreation.gov already satisfies it or whether a separate application still has to go in.
If your guest count is anywhere near 75, ask the Salt Lake Ranger District about that early.
Storm Mountain Amphitheater Wedding Cost
Recreation.gov’s current fee schedule puts a four-hour amphitheater block at $159, covering up to 200 people and 15 vehicles. That’s up from $115 for the same block in 2023, so the price has moved and it’s worth checking the live calendar again closer to your date.
The three group day-use sites, the ones a rehearsal dinner or an overflow gathering would use rather than the ceremony itself, run $153 each, capacity 50 people and 8 vehicles. A single day-use site is $15, walk-in entry is $8 per person, and standalone parking runs $15 per vehicle for anyone outside a group reservation.
A Big Cottonwood Canyon season day-use pass is $95, but it doesn’t cover the amphitheater, group sites or glamping sites, so it’s for repeat casual visits rather than a wedding.
What’s also confirmed: $10 for each vehicle past the 15-vehicle limit on a group reservation, a $10 service fee on every booking, and a full forfeit of the fee if you cancel within 14 days of the date. Reservations open 4 months ahead of the date on Recreation.gov. Booking runs through Recreation.gov, and reservations can also be made by phone at 1-877-444-6777.
Dogs aren’t allowed anywhere in Big Cottonwood Canyon outside of service animals, and the Forest Service can fine an owner $650.
The rest of the budget is whatever you carry in. There’s no catering minimum, no bar package and no rental inventory here, so the site fee is close to the floor of what a wedding at Storm Mountain Amphitheater costs, and the food, rentals, restrooms and everything else are priced by the vendors you hire.
A Photographer’s Take on Storm Mountain Amphitheater
I’ve photographed several weddings at Storm Mountain, and it’s the place I’d point you to if what you want is to get married outdoors in the mountains at the bare minimum cost of admission. The only other option I’d put in the same category, rustic and outdoors and genuinely cheap, is Spruces Campground.
What makes Storm Mountain especially nice is the older trees. They give you shade and dappled light no matter the time of day.
It doesn’t hand you the epic canyon views you might expect from somewhere in the Cottonwoods. I’d push back on that a little, though, because there are a couple of spots I could show you that overlook the rock-climbing walls, or look down the canyon, and if we cross the street for a very minor hike it gets better again.
My understanding of how these weddings work is that the Forest Service gives you a permit, and you have a limited window of access: you set up, you have the ceremony, you celebrate a little, then you pack up and get out, because there are often other groups there on the same day.
It is literally a Forest Service amphitheater campground, so there’s a movie screen that a lot of people cover with drapes. Past that it’s charming and endearing, and it’s a great option for a smaller wedding.
One aside worth knowing. Storm Mountain is also a fantastic place for a get-together the night before a wedding you’re having at a different venue. The group sites make a barbecue easy, and you get the casual version of a rehearsal dinner rather than the expensive one.
Storm Mountain Amphitheater Wedding FAQ
How much does a wedding at Storm Mountain Amphitheater cost?
A four-hour amphitheater block is $159 on Recreation.gov’s current fee schedule, up from $115 in 2023. The three group day-use sites, useful for a rehearsal dinner, run $153 each. Add $10 for each vehicle past the 15-vehicle limit, and a $10 service fee on the booking.
How many guests can Storm Mountain Amphitheater hold?
Up to 200 people, with 15 vehicles covered by the reservation. Parking is the tighter of the two numbers for most weddings, so plan on carpooling or a shuttle.
Can you bring a dog to a Storm Mountain Amphitheater wedding?
No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is a protected watershed, and dogs aren’t allowed anywhere in it except service animals — the Forest Service can fine an owner for it.
Is Storm Mountain Amphitheater ADA accessible?
Storm Mountain Amphitheater is ADA-accessible. Recreation.gov marks all three amphitheater time blocks accessible directly, and the picnic-area roads and paths are paved. Call the Salt Lake Ranger District with the specific needs in your party before you reserve.
Does Storm Mountain Amphitheater have an in-house wedding coordinator, or do you need your own planner?
There’s no in-house coordinator. It’s a Forest Service picnic ground, not a managed venue, so nobody there is running your timeline. You’re doing it yourself or hiring someone, and at a site with no power and a hard end time, that hire earns their fee.
What time does a Storm Mountain Amphitheater wedding have to end?
The gates close at 10 p.m., so the ceremony, the party and the teardown all have to finish before then. Evening blocks run 6 to 10 p.m., which means the last hour is packing, not dancing.
Storm Mountain Amphitheater Contact Info
5685 E Big Cottonwood Cyn Rd, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121
Recreation.gov reservations 1-877-444-6777
Salt Lake Ranger District 801-733-2660, option 3
Details verified against Storm Mountain Amphitheater’s published Forest Service and Recreation.gov materials on August 7, 2026. We’re actively inquiring with Storm Mountain Amphitheater for up-to-date information. Venues change terms between seasons, so confirm current pricing and permit requirements with the Salt Lake Ranger District before you budget.
Similar Wedding Venues
Spruces Campground is further up Big Cottonwood Canyon, a Forest Service campground booked the same way through Recreation.gov, with open meadows and old-growth aspens in place of the stone amphitheater.
Snowbird is a ski resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon, with ceremony options at the Cliff Lodge near the base and at the top of the aerial tram on Hidden Peak.
Millcreek Inn is a mountain-stream property in Millcreek Canyon with a covered pavilion built over the creek.
The rest of them are in The Best Utah Wedding Venues: A Photographer’s Guide.
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