Snowbasin - An Olympic Ski Resort

One of the oldest ski resorts in the United States is located on Mount Ogden, a peak in the northern Wasatch Range. Snowbasin was created by the efforts of the local authorities of Ogden, Utah to restore a watershed, which consequently was turned over to the U.S. Forest Service. Snowbasin became a recreational area, or in other words a ski resort, following the tendency after World War II for development of small ski resorts in the Utah region. After growing slowly, the resort received large investment and improvements in the 1990s and in the beginning of the 21st century due to the current owner Earl Holding. The culmination of all development was in 2002 when Snowbasin hosted the downhill, combined (downhill and slalom), and super-G events during the 2002 Winter Olympics, which attracted 124,373 spectators who watched the events at the Grizzly and Wildflower Downhill courses. The Snowbasin Olympic venue during the 2002 Winter Paralympics, was also host to the Alpine Skiing events.

The resort is actually a year-round resort offering both winter and summer activities. It has 3,000 skiable acres, encompassing a variety of terrains (three terrain parks), an advanced lift system, a tubing hill, world-class snowmaking, and 26km of Nordic trails. The lodges provide luxury, award-winning cuisine, and magnificent views. There are luxury one to four-bedroom condos with Wi-Fi, a master suite, and more.

The resort's rails have grown to over 65 rails for the 2011-12 winter season, and some of them were built from recycled materials. There are small, medium and large terrain parks with ski schools, children's programs and other amenities. The tubing hill is another option for fun (with a handle tow lift and a rubber tube included with the ticket). The six-lane tubing hill is located right by the base area and works only during weekends. There are also two new gondolas that have been added to the original ones. Near the tubing hill start the Nordic trails. In order to experience the trails you can rent traditional/diagonal and skating skis from the Grizzly Center in the Main Plaza. The snowmaking system encompasses 600 acres of terrain, relying on information from 104 weather stations around the resort.

25 miles of biking and hiking trails connected to an additional 25 miles of Forest Service trails are also available to the tourists. There are three trails for hikers that lead to the crest of the ridge, where you can enjoy he great vistas. There are beginner-friendly trails and challenging ones. There are also guided mountain biking and hiking tours and excursions. These activities are especially popular during the summer. Another popular summer activity is disc golf, which is played with a flying disc, thrown at a target (metal basket) known as the "hole". It is really easy to have fun as the terrain changes depending on where the previous throw landed and brings new obstacles and perspective to the players. The person who is the furthest from the hole shoots first. This is a rule!

Events throughout the year bring another note of entertainment to Snowbasin. Every month there is a carnival or local celebration. Snowbasin's Rail Jam is an opportunity for jammers to show off their skills. This is just one of the reasons why the number of snowboarders and free-skiers at the resort is growing.