Situated Just Outside Salt Lake City Is Utah's Charming Mountain Town Full Of History And Art

For those looking to visit Utah but wanting to skip out on the crowds in nearby Salt Lake City or Park City, Ogden is a great hidden gem that offers outdoor activities, history, arts, and all the charm of a small town. Ogden is at the foothills of the Wasatch Range, and travelers visiting Ogden can easily visit the Great Salt Lake, Sardine Peak, and Powder Mountain. Powder Mountain was named in Time as one of The World's Greatest Places of 2025, and offers 5,000 skiable acres. For those interested in visiting Utah in the winter, be sure to check out the Brian Head Ski Resort, an uncrowded and affordable option. 

In town, travelers can enjoy meals at Ogden mainstays like Harp and Hound, an upscale pub offering local beers, La Crepe OG, which offers unique creations like cheesecake crepes and churro crepes, or Slackwater pizzeria, a locally-owned restaurant serving artisanal pizzas. Visitors should be sure to walk down Historic 25th Street or 9 Rails District to get a sense of the town. 

Ogden is about a 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport or about an hour-and-a-half trip on public transit. While Ogden itself is a fairly walkable town, visitors who plan on doing activities outside the city should plan on renting a car, using a rideshare service or public transportation. For those driving, be aware of the unexpected law that motorists should know before driving in Utah.

Ogden was originally inhabited by the Great Salt Lake Fremont Indigenous people, and then the Northern Shoshone and Goshute Indigenous tribes. When the first Europeans settled in the area, they named it Fort Buenaventura. Mormon settlers bought the fort in 1847, and Ogden was incorporated as a city in 1851. There are a variety of Mormon historical sites in Ogden, and there is still a Mormon presence in the town today. 

With the invention of the transcontinental railroad, Ogden built Union Station depot, and it became an official stop on the Transcontinental Railroad. However, with the announcement of Prohibition, Ogden became a hotspot of speakeasies and illegal activity, becoming increasingly wild and dangerous. After Prohibition was repealed, organized crime took a hold on Ogden. But the start of World War II brought a transportation boom since Ogden became a central place for moving war supplies. 

Though the railroad business declined after the war, Ogden was able to bounce back, and its Historic 25th street area is now home to bars, restaurants, art galleries, and shops. In fact, and many of the old buildings were repurposed and are used for different businesses today, like a former brothel that is now a bar, and Union Station, which now hosts events. 

Ogden is home to a variety of arts institutions, each with a unique vision and highlighting various styles. At the Ogden Contemporary Arts, visitors can enjoy both physical art pieces and also spaces dedicated specifically to digital arts and immersive work. The space offers a variety of ways for the public to engage with the art, including interactive workshops and regular happy hours for members, where they offer food and drink as well as exclusive access to new exhibitions. For those interested in exploring more immersive art in the Beehive State, be sure to check out Dreamwalk Park, a mystical and dreamlike art experience.

There's also the Eccles Art Center, which focuses on visual and performing arts, and offers classes for every age group, from kids to older adults. Visitors interested in exploring the ways that the town blends history and art should definitely stop by the Myra Powell Gallery in the historic Union Station, which has both a permanent collection and rotating collections from up-and-coming artists.