Ogden

Ogden's fortunes were made by the railroad. After the transcontinental line was completed at Promontory Summit to the northwest in 1869, Ogden became the junction where the great east-west and north-south lines met, earning it the nickname Junction City. For generations nearly everyone crossing the region by train passed through Ogden, and the city grew rich and busy on that traffic.

The grand Union Station at the foot of 25th Street is the monument to that era, a stately depot that once handled a flood of passengers and now houses a cluster of museums devoted to railroads, cars, firearms, and the region's history. Long before the rails, this was homeland to the Northwestern Shoshone and other peoples of the Great Basin, who lived along these rivers and the shores of the Great Salt Lake.

Running from Union Station up toward the mountains, 25th Street is the heart of old and new Ogden alike. In the railroad days it was notorious, a rowdy strip of saloons, gambling halls, and worse that catered to travelers stepping off the trains, with a reputation that spread far beyond Utah. Its brick buildings still line the street, now beautifully preserved.

In recent decades the street has been revived into one of the liveliest small-city main streets in the West, its historic storefronts filled with restaurants, breweries, coffee houses, galleries, and shops. Its colorful past is part of the draw, and evenings and weekends bring crowds strolling beneath the old facades with the mountains framed at the head of the street.

What sets Ogden apart is how close the wild country lies. Ogden Canyon opens right at the edge of downtown and climbs quickly into the Wasatch, leading to the ski resorts of Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and Nordic Valley, all within a short drive. Snowbasin hosted downhill events for the 2002 Winter Olympics and remains one of the finest and least-crowded major resorts in the state.

The mountains give just as much in summer. Trails climb straight from the city into the foothills and high country, mountain bikers ride the canyon slopes, and the Ogden River runs right through downtown, where a whitewater park and riverside pathway have become a centerpiece of the revitalized city. It is a place where you can go from a downtown café to a mountain trailhead in minutes.

Beyond its street life and mountains, Ogden holds real cultural depth, from the museums packed into Union Station to festivals, music, and a growing arts scene downtown. The nearby Great Salt Lake and its wetlands draw birders and photographers, and the historic pioneer and railroad sites of the region reward a slower look at the area's past.

Each season shows a different Ogden. Winter is ski season, when the resorts fill and snow dusts the peaks behind the city. Spring and fall bring mild weather ideal for canyon hikes and city strolling, with fall color climbing the mountains. Summer is warm and lively, with the river park, patios, and long evenings on 25th Street, and the high country cool and open just up the canyon.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.