Wildflowers hit their peak May-June. See where to go.

Snowbasin Resort

Where to find the Best Wildflowers in Ogden, Utah

Ogden’s wildflower season is one of the Wasatch’s best-kept secrets. As snow melts and temperatures rise, wildflowers bloom in waves in our foothills and mountains, starting at lower elevations in May and climbing higher as the season goes on. It’s a short-lived spectacle, but one well worth planning for. Here are a few of our favorite spots to catch the Wasatch in full bloom.

Bonneville Shoreline Trail

You’ll hear locals call this trail “the BST” and refer to various sections as “BST North,” “BST South,” or “BST connector.” This trail is accessible at the easternmost edge of the city wherever East-West roads end at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. Developed trailheads can be found at Ogden Nature Center-North (1300 N. Mountain Rd.), Rainbow Gardens (at the mouth of Ogden Canyon), the top of 22nd Street, 29th Street, 36th Street, and at the Beus Trailhead near the top of 42nd Street.

A short climb from any trailhead quickly levels off as the trail traces the former shoreline of ancient Lake Bonneville and has been developed virtually the entire length of Weber County, north to south. Wildflowers in Utah are abundant in early May. Yellow wildflowers and even the noxious weed, Dyer's Woad, can be stunningly beautiful early in the year. Feel free to rip as much Dyers Woad out of the ground as possible and leave it on the trail where it can be ridden over and hiked across. Be on the lookout for rattlesnakes that will occasionally be chasing warmth on the trail in the early morning and later evening hours.

Snowbasin/Art Nord/Maples/Green Pond

As valley temperatures inch higher, so do the wildflower blooms. A short drive to either Art Nord Trailhead or Snowbasin provides access to firework-like displays of Utah wildflowers on hikes or mountain bike rides from either trailhead. Keep an eye out for moose in this area, and give them plenty of space.

Ogden Botanical Gardens

The Ogden Botanical Gardens are beautiful throughout the year, and certainly worthy of a stroll when Utah wildflowers are in their peak blossom. Operated by Utah State University, the gardens are a crown jewel in central Ogden (1750 Monroe Blvd.) and provide abundant parking and paved pathways that are wheelchair and stroller accessible.

Powder Mountain / Brim Trail

Mother Nature saves her best for last. Around the time that we start to complain about the warm temperatures in town, a drive to Powder Mountain provides the necessary relief…along with the greatest abundance of wildflowers in Utah. Situated at an elevation of around 9,000 feet, the Brim Trail offers cooler temperatures and buttery-smooth trails snaking in and out of stands of quaking aspen and pines…and seemingly endless seas of every color wildflower imaginable.