Ogden Valley Winter Recreation
Explore the Top Ogden Valley Winter Recreation Areas and Ski Resorts
Ogden Valley is home to three popular ski resorts, Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and Nordic Valley. Ski resort parking is busiest on weekends, holidays, powder days, and during big events.
Ski Utah provides daily snow reports for your favorite resorts, including the Powder Alert. Visit their website, follow @SkiUtah on social media or download the Ski Utah app so you know where to find The Greatest Snow on Earth.
Don’t want to drive or look for parking? Utah Transit Authority provides ski bus service that takes riders directly to the bases of Snowbasin and Powder Mountain.
Snowbasin Resort
Snowbasin offers free parking with no reservations. There are five parking locations, with complimentary shuttles from farther lots to access the base area of the resort.
- Earl’s lots A through E (closest to the base area) are reserved for carpoolers with three or more people per vehicle until 11 a.m. on weekends and holidays.
- On weekdays, Earl’s lot A is reserved for carpoolers. There is ADA parking available in lot A, and guests can use the resort’s priority access parking route when that’s in effect on weekends.
Overnight parking is not allowed in Snowbasin’s lots. There is a zone surrounding Wildcat lot where street parking is not allowed; refer to the parking map and follow posted signs.
Snowbasin’s Mountain Report includes current parking availability.
Powder Mountain Ski Resort
Powder Mountain offers free parking in four locations Monday through Friday with no reservation.
- On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the cost is $12, payable with credit card only by scanning a QR code.
- Free parking is available after 1 p.m., for carpools of three or more people (validation required), and for ADA visitors.
Overnight parking is not allowed at Powder Mountain, and roadside parking is not allowed on SR-158.
Powder Mountain also runs two free shuttle routes servicing the Eden Park & Ride and Eden neighborhood stops.
Parking lot status is updated on Powder Mountain’s Current Conditions page.
Nordic Valley
Nordic Valley offers free parking with no reservation, carpooling is recommended on busy days. ADA parking is in Lot 1, closest to the base area. Overnight parking is allowed in the lot across from the base area for $10. There is no public transit service to the resort.
Ogden Nordic
Parking for Ogden Nordic is available at North Fork Park in Liberty. The main parking area is located at the South Gate, with limited parking at the North Gate and Middle Gate trailheads.
Other Winter Recreation Activities
Looking for winter recreation beyond the ski slopes? Ogden Valley also offers snowmobiling, snowshoeing, or winter hikes.
US Forest Service Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Monte Cristo Snowmobile Complex
The Monte Cristo Snowmobile Complex features a heavily utilized winter parking lot that serves as the primary staging area for one of Northern Utah’s snowmobiling destinations.
The main parking lot is located at the winter closure gate on State Route 39 (SR-39), approximately 24 miles east of Huntsville. A state park or recreation pass fee of $5 is typically required for parking and utilizing the groomed trail system, which is managed collaboratively by Utah State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service. Seasonal passes are $50.
The lot fills up quickly on winter weekends, holidays, and fresh powder days. Arriving early in the morning is highly recommended to secure a spot that allows enough clearance for loading and unloading.
Facilities at the trailhead are minimal, usually limited to a vault restroom. Bring water and other supplies because there is no running water or electricity.
It is crucial to monitor local UDOT updates for traction laws or sudden canyon closures on SR-39 before heading up with a trailer.
Winter Trailheads in Ogden Valley
The Wheeler Creek and Art Nord trailheads serve as the lower and upper access points for the Wheeler Creek Canyon recreation area. Connected by a 1.8-mile trail closed to vehicles, both parking lots experience significant, distinct usage patterns during the winter months. Parking is free at both Wheeler Creek and Art Nord Trailheads.
Wheeler Creek Trailhead
Located at the very top of Ogden Canyon (SR-39), right before the highway climbs up to the Pineview Reservoir dam. Parking consists of a small paved pullout directly off the highway, with a short, steep dirt access road that dips down to a secondary dirt parking area near the trailhead gate.
This lot is extremely small and fills up on winter mornings with hikers, fat-tire bikers, and snowshoers. Because it sits right off a narrow, high-traffic canyon highway, parking overflow is tightly restricted. Parking illegally on the shoulder of SR-39 will quickly result in a parking violation.
Art Nord Trailhead
Situated higher on the mountain along Old Snowbasin Road, just off SR-39, this dedicated dirt-and-gravel lot features vault restrooms available for use throughout the year.
The terrain surrounding the lot makes it one of the most popular winter tubing and sledding hills in the Ogden Valley area. The area is also frequently tracked out or groomed for cross-country skiing and fat-tire biking.
Because of the heavy mix of sledders and backcountry trail users, this lot fills quickly on winter weekends.
Ice Fishing in Ogden Valley
The Ogden Valley offers excellent ice fishing opportunities, primarily centered around its two main bodies of water: Pineview Reservoir and Causey Reservoir. However, accessing the ice on these two lakes requires very different strategies due to winter road maintenance and ongoing projects.
Pineview Reservoir
Pineview is an easily accessible ice fishing destination in the valley. It freezes reliably and is heavily targeted for Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Tiger Muskie, and Trout.
Access Points & Parking
- North Arm Trailhead
- Pelican / Quist Beach
- Cemetery Point
Construction Alert:
Pineview Trailhead (Windsurfer Beach) and the Port Ramp Marina are completely closed to the public for a U.S. Forest Service reconstruction project.
Causey Reservoir
Causey Reservoir is a non-motorized reservoir located 15 miles northeast of Ogden. It offers a scenic, rugged ice fishing experience targeting Cutthroat Trout, Tiger Trout, Splake, and Rainbow Trout.
The unpaved access road leading from Highway 39 down to the reservoir is not plowed or maintained in the winter. Following heavy snowstorms, it quickly becomes impassable to standard vehicles. Make sure your vehicle is equipped for winter driving.
Anglers ice fishing at Causey must park in a safe, cleared pullout off the shoulder of SR-39 near the canyon turnoff and hike, snowshoe, or snowmobile down into the canyon to reach the ice.
Construction Alert:
Construction is taking place around the Skull Crack parking area and Causey Dam. Be prepared for limited staging space and comply with all posted U.S. Forest Service closure signs.