Planning Your Time

You can get a good sense of the region's key draws over a long weekend, divided between Ogden, Logan, and perhaps Bear Lake. For a more intensive exploration of northern Utah, Ogden serves as a great base, offering plenty of urban and outdoor activities. Plan on a day in Ogden to check out Historic 25th Street and the area's several good museums and outdoor attractions. More ardent fans of recreation will want to add at least a day in Ogden Valley, with its abundance of hiking and boating opportunities and—in winter—world-class skiing and snowboarding at Powder Mountain and Snowbasin. The small city of Brigham City is worth a stop if you're planning to spend time at nearby Golden Spike National Historic Site, and perhaps for a soak at family-friendly Crystal Hot Springs. Heading north to the friendly college town of Logan, spend a day enjoying great opera in summer and some good museums and impressive hikes before venturing out on one of the state's most scenic drives through Logan Canyon, on your way to Bear Lake State Park, where boating, swimming, or lounging await at Rendezvous Beach.