Eden is a small mountain resort town nestled in the awe-inspiring Ogden Valley popular among Utah visitors, especially in winter.
The town’s acreage of about 11 square kilometers in Weber County is on the cradle of Powder and Wolf Mountains, Snowbasin, and Pineview Reservoir.
This amazing locale is a perfect setting that spawned the many amazing things to do in Eden, which had quite a modest beginning.
A log cabin built in 1857 was its first home, a simple shelter for two herd keepers in the pastures of Ogden Valley.
As a community, 15 families established Eden in 1859, cultivating farms and hiring the surveyor Washington Jenkins to plot their settlement.
Jenkins was so impressed by the settlers’ paradise-like site that he named it Eden, replacing its initial name, North Fork Town.
The establishment of Eden’s farms echoes in the setting up of other settlements nearby, such as Huntsville and Liberty.
With the growth of these towns matching Eden’s, their points of interest now also meld with many of the best things to do in Eden, as this list shows.
K. Bradley Washburn / shutterstock.com
A short drive of about 3 miles from Eden Park to the south will take you to the Windsurfer Beach at the Pineview Reservoir.
This beach is a favorite spot not only for windsurfing but also for stand-up paddleboarding.
Windsurfer Beach is but one of the beaches in the Pineview Reservoir that resulted from the construction of the Pineview Dam in the 1930s to collect irrigation water from the Ogden River.
K. Bradley Washburn / shutterstock.com
These beaches include those at Cemetery Point, Anderson Campground, Middle Inlet, and the reservoir’s eponymous Pineview Beach.
The Pineview Reservoir’s beaches are ideal for boating, swimming, and fishing.
Baits in the reservoir’s waters can yield tiger musky, small and largemouth bass, perch and crappie, bluegill, rainbows, cutthroat, browns, and tiger trout.
jennyt / shutterstock.com
This wondrous nature walk has a convenient trailhead in Eden that you can access near the junction of Utah State Route 158 and the North Fork of the Ogden River.
From Eden Park, this trailhead is less than a kilometer to the west via East 2200 N.
A walk on this trail takes you through a riparian wetland habitat of songbirds, waterfowl, and raptors.
During the spring thaw, mountain trout also abound in the Ogden River and its tributaries along the trail.
There are interpretive signs along the trail to guide you and inform you about the local flora and fauna.
A walk on this trail in late September and October will help you appreciate autumn’s explosion of colors.
Eden Park at North 5600 is at the center of the picturesque Ogden Valley, offering several recreational facilities and hosting special events.
The park features three fields for football and soccer, a baseball diamond, and a full-size horse arena.
It is also home to a large Community Center with an attached covered area and tables for outdoor picnics.
Schedule your visit to Eden in time for the two-day Ogden Valley Balloon & Artist Festival typically held in August each year.
Watching colorful balloons dotting the mountain sky is truly a wonderful experience, more so when you’re able to catch a ride.
With the balloons tethered to the ground after their flight, the festival turns into a party with local artists, live talent, and vendors livening up the park.
Take your family to the Wolf Creek Resort for a one-stop holiday vacation spree in Eden.
This resort based on North Wolf Creek Drive offers short-term and long-term lodging with choices on single-family homes, condos, and townhouses.
These accommodations are bundled with a slew of amenities, including an 18-hole championship golf course, fitness center, and restaurant.
In wintertime, you can enjoy snowshoeing along the golf course for good exercise amid amazing mountain views.
There is also the Sidewinder Trail in Wolf Creek’s community The Bridges, offering a scenic pathway for biking, running, or hiking.
At Wolf Creek, you can also play on its nine-hole disc golf course with fun elevation and wonderful mountain views.
Watch out for the public tour and tasting at the New World Distillery near the southeast corner of East 2600 N and Valley Junction Drive in Eden.
A husband-and-wife team owns and runs this distillery known for its prize-winning spirits, cocktail mixers, and local bitters.
New World Distillery has a hospitable retail space that welcomes even as you’re marching in with muddy boots or sandals from a Pineview trail hike.
The offerings in the distillery include its multi-awarded Oomaw gin that highlights “a juniper-forward taste profile, balanced with a unique blend of eight additional botanicals.”
Ask for its higher-proof Wasatch Blossom Utah Tart Cherry Liqueur for another sampling of one of this distillery’s masterpieces.
jennyt / shutterstock.com
Covering some 10,000 acres in the Wasatch Mountains, this resort is touted as North America’s largest mountain resort.
The lodging at Powder Mountain Resort is luxurious and available at its Horizon Cabin, Cascade Townhomes, and Moose Hollow Condos.
Settled in, you have access to 8,464 skiable areas topping at an elevation of 8,900 feet above sea level.
Six chairlifts serve the skiers at Powder Mountain, and snowcat service and guided tours are also available in this resort.
You can pick from 154 trails and the two terrain parks of Powder Mountain.
The sheer size of this ski resort allows quiet and privacy even on its busiest days.
You can also enjoy a visit to Powder Mountain in the summer to enjoy riding its 26 miles of mountain bike trails.
If you’re a mountain-climbing enthusiast, you can tackle the 8,031-foot tall Lewis Peak starting from Eden.
The ideal jump-off for this mountain peak is the Windsurfer Beach, south of Eden’s town center.
The Lewis Peak Trail from this beach runs for 29.5 kilometers to the west and has a difficult rating.
Traffic on this trail is moderate and primarily used for hiking that will take you to amazing sceneries at the summit of Lewis Peak.
Standing over the vertical cliffs below the mountain’s summit, you will have commanding views of the greater Ogden metro area, Ogden Valley, Ben Lomond Peak, and Mount Ogden.
Founded in 2015, this year-round backcountry resort operates from Eden at the southeast quadrant of East 2600 N and Valley Junction Drive.
Whisper Ridge Backcountry is touted as holding the world’s largest acreage for snowcat skiing and heli-skiing.
It stakes this claim on the 70,000 acres of skiable terrain that it owns and/or leases.
This vast spread is in the Northern Wasatch Mountains between Eden and the town of Paradise in Cache County.
At Whisper Ridge Backcountry, you can pick from moderate to extreme-level skiing adventure packages.
To deliver these, this resort operator banks on ten snowcats, two helicopters, plus a fleet of snowmobiles.
With its resources, Whisper Ridge Backcountry also offers heli-assisted fly fishing and high-country ATV tours.
It likewise runs the only heli-served downhill mountain bike park in the US.
This resort, established in 1968, is a family-centered and budget-friendly skiing destination at the heart of the Wasatch Mountains.
Winter visitors of Eden hail Nordic Valley for its ski school suitable for kids as well as adult novices.
The resort features intermediate and advanced slopes within its 450-acre expanse.
Notably, members of the Austrian downhill skiing team trained in Nordic Valley for their gold medal campaign in the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics.
Nordic Valley Ski Resort offers 12 new trails not only for skiers but also snowboarders.
It has also installed the resort’s first six-person, high-speed chairlift, in addition to its one triple lift, one surface lift, and 32 runs.
This is an award-winning restaurant on the northeast corner of East 2200 N and North 5500 East.
Its specialty is the regional American Tex-Mex cuisine, blending US food products with Mexican-American culinary touches.
The culinary influence of Mexico is evident in the restaurant’s menu fare that includes enchiladas, fajitas, burritos, and tacos.
You can also appreciate the Cantina’s Mexican touch in the margaritas served at this restaurant’s 745 Sportsbar.
As charming, this restaurant is located in the historic, circa late 1800s Old Town General Store building with ornate woodworking.
Daveineden, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Valley Chapel in Eden holds the record of being the oldest social venue continuously operating in the Ogden Valley.
This chapel of the Latter-day Saints, located on East 2200 N, was built in 1896 by Eden’s Mormon pioneers.
The chapel’s location also features a picture-perfect stage/pergola amid well-landscaped gardens.
The chapel is now the centerpiece of Hearthside that promotes it as an events venue for retreats, music and art shows, weddings, receptions, and parties.
For couples, the best time to visit Valley Chapel is in February, when a Valentine’s Ball with live band music is held here.
This strip mall is located on North Highway 162 corner East 2550 N Street, featuring the quaint shop Simply Eden and some homegrown restaurants.
Simply Eden is a family-owned gift shop that sells soaps and other beauty products made from organic goat milk that is suited for those with sensitive skin or allergies.
All of these handmade products are made of high-quality ingredients free from harmful chemicals.
Besides soaps, Simply Eden sells body mousse, lotions, and face cream.
After shopping at this health shop, go for another cream treatment at the nearby Crème de la Crème that serves not only ice cream but also frozen mint lemonade.
For other food treats, you can turn to Ogden’s Valley Pizza or Eats of Eden also in this North Highway 62 location.
This wellness facility is in the historic Victorian Old Town Eden building on North 5500 E.
Here, you will be in the hands of a wellness staff experienced in the Aveda Concept Salon, where customers can get all the wellness services they desire.
In this full-service spa, you’ll enjoy not only spa treatments, facials, and massage but also go through the rituals of meditation and yoga.
This holistic approach aims to bring balance to your body while purifying and refreshing your mood and skin at the same time.
Vegan lunch is available at the Free Spirit Holistic Mountain Spa & Yoga, featuring a healthy tea bar.
This unique recreational facility is located on Nordic Valley Way, offering a dynamic snow tubing experience.
The minds behind Wasatch Parc used their experience from the French Alps on snow tubing operations to create their venture in Eden.
They engineered the steepest hill possible for the fastest rides while rendering a safe and family-friendly environment.
To ensure that the snow tubers can enjoy Wasatch Parc safely, its management team includes a Thrill Manager and a Tubing Expert.
Wasatch has even adopted a Comforter-in-Chief, helping guests with their snow tubes and providing moral support to first-timers.
Club Rec has locations around northern Utah, all within an hour’s drive of Salt Lake City.
It serves as a one-stop shop for outdoor enthusiasts needing gear and guided excursions.
You may rent boats, wakeboards, ski boats, jet skis, and wave runners to enjoy the majestic mountains in Northern Utah.
It also rents out ATVs, motorcycles, and side by sides/UTVs.
Additionally, Club Rec provides guided trips to some of Utah’s most breathtaking locations, such as Mantua Trail up to Inspiration Point.
The shop also has equipment for water adventures and outdoor activities.
Carvers Cove Petting Farm is a wonderful place for an animal-loving family to visit when vacationing in the beautiful Ogden Valley area.
From May through September, the farm is open for the season.
Visitors of all ages may enjoy seeing different animals up close and personal on this charming, old-fashioned farm while also learning essential things from the farm staff.
Domesticated animals such as cows, pigs, goats, and sheep coexist with companion animals like kittens, dogs, and rabbits on the farm.
The farm also has donkeys, alpacas, llamas, and horses for visitors to see.
Don’t rush through your farm tour; savor your time there!
You and your kids may also feed some animals, creating a unique experience.
Enjoy the fascinating scenery of Wolf Creek in the comfort of a horse-drawn open sleigh with Wolf Creek Sleigh Rides!
It’s the most enchanted way to take in the splendor of Eden, with its pristine forests and towering mountains.
Hop on a public sleigh and race with your loved ones through the snow!
Each sleigh ride lasts between 25 and 30 minutes, and you will receive blankets to keep yourselves warm.
Bring gloves, scarves, and hats for protection if it snows or is cold.
Each sleigh can fit up to 10 people, so feel free to bring the whole gang!
If you’re visiting Eden during the weekends, grab the chance to check out Eden 1900.
Eden 1900 is a gallery where local artists may exhibit their works.
Locals and tourists can peruse, chat with the artists, and buy original works of art.
Exhibits of featured artists often last for a month.
Every month’s first Saturday, the gallery hosts a meet-and-greet with the featured artist and a presentation about the artwork.
Eden 1900 also hosts photography and painting competitions, live music performances, free events, and lectures on the arts.
In lovely Eden, you’ll find EmieJames.
This quaint business offers more than purchasing thoughtful gifts and fresh flower arrangements.
EmieJamesis a hub where people gather to chat, shop, and take in the sights of the 120-year-old Victorian-style building that serves as the store’s home.
Products available at EmieJames include ornaments for the house, fashion, accessories, toys, children’s wear, and confections.
Want to do something enjoyable?
It also hosts a variety of classes every month, including wreath making, jewelry making, lettering, and cooking.
Go for a beer at the Shooting Star Saloon on East 200 S in Huntsville, only 6 miles southeast of Eden.
This saloon surely has many tales to tell as it is housed in a former mercantile building constructed in the 1850s.
It was converted to a saloon in 1879 and has operated as such since then, even defying the 14-year Prohibition.
The conversational pieces here are not only the saloon’s historic building and tasty burgers.
The saloon’s curiosities also include a stuffed St. Bernard that, when it was alive, held the Guinness as the largest of its breed.
Eden may lack the sophisticated points of interest common among metropolitan and urban travel destinations.
However, its enchanting and historic mountain locale and well-developed resort infrastructures more than make up for the town’s lack of a cosmopolitan flavor.
Given this consideration, the best things to do in Eden are great draws for tourists, especially for those with outdoor adventure as their passion.
Discover the world.
© All rights reserved.
