Just an hour north of Salt Lake City, Ogden is the perfect weekend getaway and gateway to the mountains. With an adorable downtown area, one of the Ten Best Main Streets in the US, tons of great restaurants, and easy access to three ski resorts within a 30-minute drive, it’s one of my favorite cities in Utah.

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Ogden Outdoor Recreation

Ogden has an endless amount of mountain activities and even hosted some of the 2002 Olympic events. I have visited Ogden in every season, and have always found plenty of outdoor activities and events. Yet after many trips, there are still lots of things in Ogden that I’ve yet to see.

Causey Reservoir

My favorite place to paddle board in Utah is Causey Reservoir. It’s up past Snowbasin, so still a bit of a drive from Ogden, but it’s well worth the 40-minute trip through Ogden Canyon! No motors are allowed, so it’s perfect for paddleboarding and kayaking. It gets pretty busy on the weekend, but weekdays are heaven!

Pineview Reservoir is another popular place for boating and paddling. It’s a much bigger lake, so expect boat and jet ski traffic. You can see Pineview from the Needles Gondola at Snowbasin. It’s also a popular spot in the winter for ice fishing.

Ogden Ski Resorts

There are three ski resorts within a 30-minute drive of Ogden. I skied them all in two days!

• Snowbasin is the most popular of the Ogden ski resorts. They hosted several downhill ski events in the 2002 Olympics, so the facilities are nice. Like Deer Valley nice. It’s also one of my favorite Utah ski resorts in summer because of the Blues, Brews and BBQ concert series. Their Sunday Brunch at the top of the Needles Gondola is legendary!
• Powder Mountain is one of the largest ski resorts, by acreage, in the country. Last year, the Netflix CEO purchased Powder Mountain, or Pow Mou, so I think there are big changes on the horizon.
• Nordic Valley reminded me of the small resorts where I learned to ski in the Midwest. Cute, quaint, and affordable. And they have night skiing! Despite the name, it is for downhill skiing, not Nordic-style skiing.

Ogden Utah Restaurants

Ogden has so many great restaurants; I’m always perplexed to choose because there are a ton to choose from! Thanks to recommendations from Ogden locals and my fellow travel bloggers, I have had some excellent meals in Ogden. If you decide to visit Ogden, make sure you include these Ogden restaurants on your itinerary.

• Union Grill – great bar atmosphere in the downtown area. Their chicken pita tacos are on my list every time I visit Ogden.
• Javier’s – authentic, affordable Mexican food in several locations around Ogden.
• Rooster’s Brewing is a fun brew-pub with great food.
• Pig in a Jelly Jar – my favorite Salt Lake City breakfast spot also has a location on Ogden’s Historic 25th Street. This location has a cozy patio out back if you visit Ogden in the summer time.
• Slackwater Pizza – fantastic wood-fired pizzas in a super cute setting. If you’re like me and don’t love marinara, try the Grape and Gorgonzola pizza. It was divine!
• Criddle’s Cafe is a solid breakfast diner-type place. Nothing fancy, but very affordable and hearty food.
• Two local-recommended spots I’ve yet to try are La Ferrovia and Golden Jade. I also want to check out the rooftop at Alleged. I bet the views are incredible!

Ogden Food Tour

You know if there’s a food tour, I’m taking it. My Instagram algorithm was spot in when it recommended O Town Food Tours for me. I joined the founder, Rick, and two other travelers for a walking tour of Ogden, with several food stops along the way! Rick’s background as a teacher really shines on the tour; I learned so much about the history of Ogden. It was super informative! As a pretty occasional drinker, I love that they have an optional alcohol pairing, so you can save a few bucks if you’re not drinking.

The tour begins at Union Station, where we got a brief history of Ogden, and a glimpse at the interior murals that were recommissioned from Ellis Island. We then set out for a walking tour of Historic 25th Street. I never really thought of Ogden as having “hip” restaurants; more of a brewery/fast casual scene. But I was wrong! Our first tasting was at Table 42, and my first thought was “we need this in Park City!” The Brussel Sprouts here are so good…I’ve actually started ordering brussel sprouts now, which will shock anyone who knows me.

Subsequent food stops included Tona Sushi on 25th Street, voted one of the top 12 restaurants in Utah. At Sappori, we had flavored steamed milk and a cannoli and watched as the owners set up for their weekly Wednesday cooking class. Our tour concluded at Queen Bee, a darling gift shop with an impressive selection of chocolates which we got to sample.

Other Things to See in Ogden

Depending on your interests, there are lots of other things to see near Ogden.

• Ogden Twilight is a pretty major summer concert series held each year at the Ogden Amphitheater.
• Eccles Dinosaur Park is fun if you have kids that are super into dinosaurs. Although a friend of mine said it was terrifying as a kid.
• Crystal Hot Springs is a nice place to soak in hot springs, especially in the winter. They are about 30 minutes north of Ogden.
• Odgen Botanical Garden is a small, but lovely garden along the Ogden River.
• The Ogden Temple is quite gorgeous. Of course, you can’t go inside, but I happened by at sunset on a summer evening, and the flowers were so fragrant.
• A day trip to the Spiral Jetty art installation is still about 90 minutes from Ogden, some of that down a bumpy gravel road, but it is pretty cool to see. I had never seen a pink lake until I visited this part of the Great Salt Lake.
• A day trip to Logan Canyon, one of the most scenic drives in Utah!

Where to Stay in Ogden

There are plenty of hotels in Ogden. I have always stayed at the Courtyard because I had an employee discount. It’s dated and could use a refresh, but there are no luxury hotels in Ogden. It’s not that kind of town. For now. The key when choosing your Ogden hotel is to stay in the downtown area near Historic 25th Street.

Browse Ogden Utah hotels at Booking.com

Getting to Ogden, Utah

While there is a small airport in Ogden, most visitors will fly into Salt Lake City, which is a Delta hub with lots of direct flights. From Salt Lake to Ogden, it’s less than an hour’s drive and it’s all on a relatively flat interstate. No crazy mountain roads to worry about and typically less snow than higher up in the mountains.