By Peta Owens-Liston

The old railroad town of Ogden, Utah, long ago lost its brothels to boutiques and its saloons to sushi bars and bistros. And now a rebirth of the Ogden River Parkway is attracting outdoor enthusiasts of all types to a paved trail that winds for eight miles along the Ogden River.

Once an area of blight, the parkway now beckons visitors to enjoy fishing and wading areas, to relax at playgrounds and picnic spots under the shade of cottonwood trees, and to dine at riverside cafés such as Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria. “Before, this area wasn’t visited by many folks,” says Bryce Young of Bingham Cyclery. “Now all kinds of people are out on shiny cruisers, smiling and taking in the scenery.”

Families strolling the one-mile loop around Goode Ski Lake can venture east to the Ogden Botanical Gardens and Big D Sports Park or spy life-size dinosaurs at George Eccles Dinosaur Park. Ten kiosks provide trail maps. Says Perry Huffaker, manager of Ogden’s Public Ways and Parks Division, “There are people on this trail every day in every season.”

Photography in Via by Mike Schirf

This article was first published in July 2012. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.

www.viamagazine.com