In the mountains north of Salt Lake City lies another world. Ogden, which owes its prosperity to the transcontinental railroad, is a good starting point for discovering northern Utah's Old -- and surprisingly Wild -- West heritage. Ogden is also a great home base for outdoor recreation: You can ski at three nearby resorts in the winter, or hike, fish, and ride horses in the summer. Mandatory for all railroad buffs is a pilgrimage to Golden Spike National Historic Site, the point at which the East and West coasts of the United States were joined by rail in 1869. North of Ogden is the pretty little town of Logan, home to Utah State University and a similarly bountiful outdoor-recreation hot spot.
