Golden Spike Empire

Golden Spike Empire covers the northern Wasatch Front of Utah, the urban-and-mountain country running from Ogden north to the Idaho line. The region’s name reflects the Golden Spike National Historical Park at Promontory Summit, where the Transcontinental Railroad’s eastbound and westbound rails were joined in 1869. The terrain is dramatic — the Wasatch Mountains rising sharply east of the populated valley floor, the Great Salt Lake’s eastern shore running along the western edge, and the broad agricultural country of Box Elder County extending north. Four counties cover the region. Weber holds Ogden (the largest city, with Weber State University and the historic 25th Street downtown); Davis holds Layton, Bountiful, Centerville, and Hill Air Force Base; Box Elder holds Brigham City, Tremonton, and the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge; Morgan holds Morgan. Golden Spike National Historical Park, the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, the Hill Aerospace Museum, Ogden Union Station, and Antelope Island State Park anchor the major attractions. Most trips here center on Ogden and the surrounding history. Ogden handles the historic-downtown itinerary — Union Station, 25th Street, the John M. Browning Firearms Museum; Golden Spike runs the railroad-history itinerary; Antelope Island offers bison herds and Great Salt Lake views; Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, and Nordic Valley handle ski-area visits.