Back roads route from Ogden to Salt Lake

Motorcycle Roads & Rides > Routes > United States > Utah

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State: Utah
Date Submitted: November 2, 2011
Submitted by: Cory
Motorcycle Road Length: 81 Miles

Written Directions

The route starts in North Ogden and winds through the Wasatch Mountains on secondary roads to Salt Lake City. Paying attention to the map is important since we're carefully avoiding the major highways and riding, instead, on a number of side roads, through small towns, around reservoirs, through mountain valleys and over mountain passes.

Living in the metropolitan areas along Utah's Wasatch Front doesn't necessarily mean always riding in city traffic. Some great back roads can be found in the nearby Wasatch Mountains that are just perfect for an afternoon ride.

This route (which can easily be reversed) starts in North Ogden on a twisty, two-lane road across a mountain pass to Ogden Valley. From there, the road winds its way through the small towns and farmland around Pineview Reservoir before climbing over another mountain on the Trappers Loop Highway to Weber Canyon. In Weber Canyon we'll carefully avoid Interstate 84 by riding the back routes through rural Morgan Valley. From here, we head up another canyon to East Canyon Reservoir, then continue up over the top of Big Mountain and down Emigration Canyon to Salt Lake City.

Scenery

The scenery is great and the pace is leisurely. The Wasatch Mountains are beautiful and the diversity of the ride makes for a highly enjoyable afternoon.

Road Quality

The roads are all paved and in good condition, but since the route involves several different roads, expect everything from quality two-lane highways to good single-lane back roads through farmland.

Roadside Amenities

Since the route passes through several small towns, there will be no problem finding gasoline or a place to eat around Pineview Reservoir or in Morgan Valley. The last part of the route lies along the wagon trail that the Mormon pioneers took to reach the Salt Lake Valley.

Additional Info

The high-mountain pass over Big Mountain is closed until into June each year due to snow. The roads are a bit complicated, so here's a link to the Google Maps route: http://goo.gl/ht3j2

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