For boating and water-skiing, head 10 miles north to Willard Bay State Park, 900 W. 650 North #A, Willard, UT 84340 (tel. 435/734-9494; www.stateparks.utah.gov). In addition to watersports, 9,900-acre Willard Reservoir offers birding and wildlife viewing. There are two marinas, restrooms with showers, 131 campsites (some with RV hookups), and an RV dump station. A trail leads to a wide, sandy beach for swimming and sunbathing. Some campsites are along the waterfront, but most are along a meandering access road among the abundant cottonwoods and willows along Willard Creek. The day-use fee is $10 per vehicle; camping costs $16 to $25. Take I-15 exit 351 to South Marina, or exit 357 for North Marina.
In the Ogden Ranger District of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (tel. 801/625-5112; www.fs.fed.us/r4/uwc), Pineview Reservoir is 6 miles east of Ogden via Utah 39. Surrounded by towering mountains and forested hillsides, the 2,874-acre reservoir is a popular watersports destination. Created by the construction of an earth-and-rock dam in 1937, it has two boat ramps and two designated swimming areas. Anglers catch smallmouth and largemouth bass, black bullhead catfish, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, and tiger muskie. The North Arm Wildlife Viewing Trail, accessible from Utah 162 where the North Fork of the Ogden River enters the reservoir, is an easy .7-mile round-trip walk through a riparian wetland, where you're likely to see northern orioles, yellow warblers, and white-crowned sparrows, plus ducks, geese, hawks, and mule deer. The best viewing times are spring and early summer.
The Forest Service's Anderson Cove Campground, at 5,000 feet elevation along the south edge of the reservoir, has paved roads and 68 sites, and costs $18 per night. It's usually open from May through September, and has vault toilets and drinking water. For reservations, contact the National Recreation Reservation Service (tel. 877/444-6777; www.recreation.gov).
If you need to cool off, head to Lorin Farr Park, 700 Canyon Rd., Ogden River Parkway (tel. 801/629-8284, or 629-8253 for pool). Facilities include water slides, a swimming pool, a playground, a skateboard park, and a picnic area with grills. The park is open year-round, but the pool is open in summer only. Admission to the park is free, but there are charges for swimming (call for current rates and schedules).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
