Hours of Operation
9:00am-6:00pm (Open Daily)
Admission: Free
2026 Will & Jean Pickett Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame on August 20th, 2026: Click here for Ticket Information
Nordic Valley Resort offers a variety of skill levels to accommodate each skier, and snowboarder. Approximately 20 percent of the mountain is appropriate for beginners, 50 percent for intermediate skiers and 20 percent for advanced skill levels. Nordic Valley Resort also boasts the best slopes in Utah for night skiing with the entire mountain lit up each evening. Located in Weber County, Utah, Nordic Valley is less than 60 miles from Salt Lake International Airport.
Nordic Valley was considered one of the best downhill skiing training sites leading up to the 2002 Winter Olympics. No one appreciated this more than Austrian Fritz Strobl, who won the gold medal in downhill at Snowbasin, after preparing with his team at Nordic Valley.
Arthur Christiansen, an Ogden developer and former president of the Utah Home Builders Association, purchased the 900-acre Silver Bell Ranch with plans for summer homes and recreational use. He initially envisioned the mountainside retreat as a quiet, personal oasis away from the expanding city below. Over time, his vision for the expansive property began to pivot as he realized the land possessed incredible year-round potential.
Throughout the mid-1960s, the steep hillsides of the ranch became highly popular with local families for sledding and tobogganing during the winter months. This spontaneous community usage drew large weekend crowds and showcased the area’s natural winter appeal. The immense success of these informal gatherings quickly sparked the first serious ideas of permanent ski development on the property.
Christiansen opened a small 5-hole golf course on the ranch to provide summer activities, successfully expanding it to 9 holes by 1967. This green space served as an early recreational centerpiece for visitors looking to escape the valley heat. However, as interest shifted toward housing, the golf course land was eventually parceled out for custom home sites.
Nordic Valley Ski Area officially opened to the public with a single beginner tow rope installed on the former sledding hill. This humble mechanical lift allowed early winter enthusiasts to get a taste of lift-served skiing in the canyon. Named in honor of the Norwegian heritage of its original founder, many of the eventual trail names and lodge references directly reflected its unique Scandinavian background.
The first chairlift at Nordic Valley (the Apollo, formerly Viking, double chair) was installed in 1970. Now, skiers could reach higher portions of the ridge line. As crowds grew, the original beginner tow rope was eventually replaced with a second chairlift in 1971 to serve the expanding beginner terrain. These twin projects vastly increased the uphill capacity and allowed the resort to safely manage more guests.
