Nordic Valley, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nordic Valley
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 Nordic Valley
Location in Utah
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Weber |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
Nordic Valley is a small, unincorporated community. It is located in Weber County, Utah, in the United States. This area is part of the larger Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan area. Being "unincorporated" means it doesn't have its own city government. Instead, it is managed by the county. Nordic Valley is well-known for its beautiful mountain setting and its popular ski resort.
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Exploring Nordic Valley's Location
Nordic Valley is found on an eastern slope of the Wasatch Range. This mountain range is part of the larger Rocky Mountains in northern Utah. It sits about 50 miles north of Salt Lake City. It is also about 15 miles east of Ogden, Utah.
Mountain Setting and Nearby Areas
Nordic Valley is located at an elevation of about 6,000 feet (1,828 meters). It shares its mountainside with a ski resort that has the same name. The community is tucked into the west side of a high mountain valley. This valley is known as the Ogden Valley. It is on the western edge of the small town of Eden, Utah. Nordic Valley shares this valley with other communities like Liberty, Utah and Huntsville, Utah. The beautiful Pineview Reservoir is also nearby.
Ski Resorts in the Valley
Across the valley to the east, you can find the Powder Mountain ski resort. To the south is Snowbasin, which was a host for the 2002 Winter Olympics. This makes Nordic Valley a great spot for winter sports lovers.
The Story of Nordic Valley
The history of Nordic Valley began in the fall of 1960. A developer named Arthur Christiansen bought a large piece of land. This land was the 900-acre Silver Bell Ranch. Arthur was also a past president of the Utah Home Builder's Association. He bought the ranch from Taylor Burton in Liberty, Utah.
Developing the Community
Arthur's main goal was to turn the ranch into a summer home area. Over time, he sold about 200 one-acre lots. He also sold larger 5 and 10-acre parcels of land. Arthur himself built many homes in this new development.
Finding Water for the Homes
To get water for the new homes, Arthur hired a man named Hatch. Some people knew Hatch as a "water witch," someone who could find water using a special stick. Hatch found four possible water sources. Eventually, three wells were drilled. The main well was on top of the mountain, looking over the entire development. A reservoir was built to hold the water. Water lines had to be buried very deep. This was to stop them from freezing in the cold, high-elevation winters. The water company, called the Nordic Valley Water Company, was sold around 1977. Later, the roads were given to Weber County to maintain.
The Nordic Valley Golf Course
Arthur also planned to build a 9-hole golf course. He got help from a famous golf course designer, Ernie Schneider Sr. The Nordic Valley Golf Course opened to the public around 1966. At first, only 5 holes were ready to play. The other 4 holes were finished about a year later. In the early 1970s, Arthur sold the golf course. It was kept as a golf course for many years. However, part of it was later divided into lots for new homes.
The Nordic Valley Ski Resort
In the mid-1960s, the hillside in Nordic Valley was a popular spot. People loved to go tobogganing, sledding, and tubing there. Soon, plans were made to build a ski hill. This new ski area would have two chairlifts and several ski runs.
Birth of a Ski Area
In the late 1960s, the Nordic Valley Ski Area was created. The sledding hill was given a tow rope. It quickly became known as the beginner's ski hill. A few years later, the ski area grew. A double chairlift was added. Soon after, the tow rope on the beginner's hill was replaced with a second chairlift.
Night Skiing and Family Fun
Lights were put along the main lift and down some of the ski runs. From a distance at night, the lights looked like the letter "B" on the mountain. This could be seen across the valley. With these lights, Nordic Valley became one of the first ski areas in Northern Utah to offer night skiing. This quickly became very popular.
Nordic Valley offered a fun and affordable place for families. It had a ski school on site and a ski rental shop. There was also bus transportation from Ogden twice a day on weekends. The resort offered special group and family rates. They even had a popular "Ladies Night" where women could ski for free or half price every Tuesday night. Arthur dreamed of making the ski area even bigger, but those plans never happened.
Changes in Ownership
In 1977, the ski hill, lodge, lifts, and remaining land were sold to Ski Associates. Later, Wolf Mountain Ski Resort LLC bought the resort. They owned it until they went bankrupt in 2010. Skyline Mountain Base LLC bought the resort from America First Credit Union in 2014. Skyline Mountain Base changed the name back to Nordic Valley. They have plans to make the resort larger and better over the next few years.
The Nordic Connection
Arthur Christiansen named the area Nordic Valley because of his Norwegian family background. Many of the street names and ski runs have names from Norwegian folklore. Even the Nordic Valley Ski lodge, called Odin Hall, is named after a Norse god.
Odin Hall: A Place for Everything
Odin Hall has been used for many things. It has hosted parties and gatherings. It has also housed the golf shop, ski rental, and a snack bar. The ski patrol also used it. Before it became a lodge, Odin Hall was a hay barn. It even had two hay shoots that went from the basement all the way to the roof. These shoots led to two cupola vents on top of the barn.
