Discover and Explore Ogden, Utah's Playground!

You have to go up from Ogden City to get to Ogden Valley. And if that seems counterintuitive, the song “Down in the Valley” has never made sense to Ogden-area locals, either. If someone from Ogden had written that song, it would be called “Up in the Valley.”

“Up in the valley, the valley so high, Pull your car over, watch the athletes fly by.”

Ogden Valley has firmly put a pin in the map as one of the top sporting and adventure playgrounds in the mountain west. World-class events such as the Ogden Marathon, RAGNAR, the Tour of Utah, the XTERRA Pan-Am Championships, the Huntsville Marathon, the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships and others have had athletes compete in Ogden Valley before handing out championship titles. However, the same great amenities that attract championship events are available to visitors throughout the year and without the crowds.

Wolf Creek Golf Club offers a semi-private championship course billed as “More Park, Less City.” The tagline alone is a good indication of the laid back approach to things in this outdoor mecca. Wolf Creek Resort is also home to ClubRec where you can get outfitted with rentals for virtually any Ogden Valley activity...summer or winter.

Olympians and Winter Dew Tour athletes have had medals hung around their necks in the mountains that surround the valley at nearby Snowbasin Resort, meaning you can ski the same slopes as Bode Miller and Picabo Street. Motorsports and fat bike national champions have stood on podiums at Powder Mountain and the same runs and trails can be yours throughout the year. Championship wakeboard events regularly bring crowds to the shores of Pineview Reservoir, and you can join them, or explore quieter areas on your own.

The point is, you don’t need to be an über athlete to enjoy Ogden Valley’s immense recreational opportunities. Hundreds of miles of interconnected trails host mountain bikers and hikers of all levels. Wakeless areas of Pineview welcome stand-up paddleboarders and kayakers. A paved walkway extends its reach every year and will eventually circumnavigate the entire lake.

No weekend in Ogden Valley is complete without hitting Blues, Brews and BBQs on the plaza at Snowbasin Resort. Every Sunday from mid-June to mid-September brings a mini-festival that features a local opener, a regional touring act, and a nationally recognized band/artist. The show is free and Snowbasin's amazing food and beer selection is available for purchase.

If recreation isn’t your thing, there’s still plenty to do. If stargazing is more your speed, North Fork Park is an internationally designated “Dark Sky” location with the towering Wasatch Range providing protection from light pollution, and local astronomy buffs regularly host stargazing parties.

If you want a more intimate view of distant galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae, head over to Huntsville and check out the new Compass Rose Lodge and take advantage of the Huntsville Astronomic and Lunar Observatory (HALO). The Observatory's 16-inch aperture Ritchey-Chretien style telescope is designed with hyperbolic shaped mirrors like the Hubble Space Telescope, which offer an exceptionally flat view of objects avoiding image distortions introduced by many other amateur telescopes.

Looking for a more traditional sort of “nightlife?” Don’t miss the Shooting Star...the oldest continuously operating saloon west of the Mississippi River. Be sure to order a pint of their own “Shooting Star amber” and ask for a few quarters in change to coax the jukebox into playing Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Dolly Parton tunes while you gaze at the stuffed Saint Bernard and try to guess how many $1 bills are plastered to the ceiling.

Accommodations in and around Ogden Valley range from campgrounds to some of the most luxurious condominiums and rental homes anywhere in the state of Utah. When it comes to dining options, Ogden Valley offers everything from your typical lakeside fare of burgers and pizza to some of the best dining in Northern Utah. If you're visiting on a Thursday, take advantage of Pizza & Pints at Bower Lodge for amazing wood-oven pizza, local craft beers, and live music.

For a complete listing of events, recreational opportunities, lodging and dining options, your best resource is visitogden.com.