Free Summer Activites

This summer in Ogden is going to be awesome! Thanks to R.A.M.P., WSU, Ogden City, Weber County Library and many more, there is going to be a ton of free activities every week for kids and families. Check back every Monday for a list of the week’s free activities. Don’t forget to like O-Town Mama on Facebook or follow on Twitter to keep updated on Ogden events.

Here is the schedule of free activities for May 30-June 4:

May 30-
Treehouse Museum, 347 22nd St., Ogden is offering free admission for all military families with a current military ID. Hours are 10am-5pm. Read my post on the Treehouse for more info about the museum.
Dinosaur Park, 1544 Park Blvd., Ogden is having free showings of T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. You still have to pay admission to the park and the movie is a bonus.

May 31-
Main Branch, Weber County Library, 2464 Jefferson Ave., Ogden has Discovery Time at 10:30am and 11:30am. Discovery Time is a fun program that integrates songs, nursery rhymes, story time and crafts in a weekly hour-long program to help encourage literacy in children ages 0-5. Don’t forget to register your kids and teens in their summer reading programs while you are there.
Pleasant Valley Branch, Weber County Library, 5568 S Adams Ave.,South Ogden will hold its weekly Youth Chess Club from 4-5pm for kids 18 years and younger.

June 1-
Join Weber Pathways on a guided hike to find wildflowers in the Ogden Valley. Hikes begin at 9am. Call Helene for specific trail-head and more info 801-745-1799. Check out my post on Hiking in Ogden for info about other Weber Pathway hikes.

June 2-
North Branch, Weber County Library, 475 E 2600 N., North Ogden offers Discovery Time at 10:30am and 11:30am.

June 3-
It’s First Friday Night Art Stroll on 25th Street. It’s fun to bring your kids downtown to enjoy live music and local art at places like Ogden Blue Print and Eccles Community Art Center. There’s, also, lots of shopping and good vibes.

June 4-
Saturday is chock full of fun with free admission to Weber County attractions thanks to grants from R.A.M.P.
Choose from:
Hill Aerospace Museum, 7961 Wardley Rd., HAFB (Roy exit)- Read my post for more info on this museum.
Ogden Nature Center, 966 W. 12th St., Ogden- Walk the trails, have a picnic and visit the center’s animals, from the creepy crawly tarantulas to the feathery owls and turkeys.
Roy Aquatic Center, 2977 W. 5200 S., Roy- Enjoy the pool, splash pad and slides at this outdoor pool from 11am-6pm.
Weber State University Pool, WSU Stromberg/Swenson Gym, on the south east side of campus- Do some indoor swimming on campus from 12-4pm and visit the duck pond afterwards.
Ott Planetarium, Lind Lecture Hall, 1551 Edvalson St.,WSU is hosting its Science Saturdays from 12-5pm. Activities include admission to the Museum of Natural Science, hands-On activities, science presentations and planetarium shows.This event only happens once a month, so don’t miss out.

Don’t worry about trying to fit all this fun into one day. All these attractions will have free admission multiple times throughout the summer. Ogden Nature Center will offer free summer Saturdays every week through August 20th and Hill Aerospace Museum is always free, but donations are greatly appreciated.

Wow! So many things to do! What activity are you looking forward to most? After all that family fun, you and your spouse deserve a date. Check out my post,Date Night, for fun and inexpensive date ideas.

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Hiking in Ogden

There is no better way to wear out a toddler than a beautiful hike up Taylor's Canyon. We made sure to snatch up the opportunity to actually enjoy the outdoors yesterday. It is so beautiful up there right now. It's really, really green and the creek is overflowing. Eleanor loved hearing the birds sing and looking at the wildflowers and butterflies. We parked at 29th St and took the Bonneville Shoreline Trail until we reached the Taylor's Canyon Trail. I am thinking we went about a mile each way.

There are so many trails in the Ogden area perfect for hiking, running or biking. I love the east bench trails, because they are so close to my house and you have a lot of options once you get up there. There's Waterfall Canyon, Taylor's Canyon and Indian Trail to name a few. I, also, like going up the canyon to hike Wheeler Creek, because the first section is wide and not too difficult for young children.

If you want to go hiking in Ogden, you should check out Weber Pathways. Weber Pathways is a great organization dedicated to promoting and taking care of trails in the area. On their website, you can search trails by length or difficulty and print off maps. If you are new to the area or unfamiliar with our trails, you can join Weber Pathways on guided hikes throughout the area.

Here is a list of this summer's guided hikes:

For All Ages:

Geo-Hikes
Geology students from Weber State University will be leading hikes and conducting geology discussions of local the terrain and surrounding Earth materials. Topics that will be discussed are geomorphology (how the land was formed) and lithology (what the land is made of). These hikes are for everyone (kid and dog friendly) that want to know more about our mountains. Hikes start at 9:00am
May 28- Birdsong Trail, led by Amanda Gentry and Sara Yearsley. For more info, please call Sara at 801-682-5545 June 11 Waterfall Canyon, led by Amanda Gentry and Sara Yearsley. For more info, please call Sara at 801-682-5545.
August 16- Indian Trail, meet at the Smokey the Bear Trailhead in Ogden Canyon. Led by Kristina Bishop and Sara Yearsley. For more info, please call Sara at 801-682-5545.
August 27- Beus Canyon, led by Josh Poulsen. For more info, please call Josh at 801-231-5850.

Family Hikes
These hikes are intended for families with children. We most likely will not be hiking the entire duration, but only to where the children feel comfortable. These hikes are to get parents and children outside and exploring together in our mountains. We will be looking for bugs, animals, and plants. Bring a bag or jar so the children can collect little treasures. There will lots of stops along the way and it will be slow hiking. Anyone welcome (with or without kids), dogs welcome. Outings start at 9:00am.
June 8- Burch Creek
August 18- Wheeler Creek
For more information, please call Sara at (801) 682-5545.

For Adults and Older Kids:

Up N’ Over!
May 28th
Please be physically prepared...these hikes are tough! We will meet at the designated trail-head, leave 1/2 of our vehicles, then carpool to corresponding trail-head to hike. Hikes start at 7:00am. May 28th. We will be hiking the Indian Trail. Meet at the 22nd St trail-head for this 4.3 mile hike “up-and-over” to Ogden Canyon. July 9th. Meet at the North Ogden Divide trail-head, hikeing the South Skyline Trail. Expect to be hiking for at least 5 hours. Bring a lunch! September 10th. Meet at the North Ogden Divide trail-head. Expect to be hiking for at least 5 hours. Bring a lunch! We may summit Ben Lomond Peak! Call Casey for more information 801-540-5698.

Moonlight Hikes!
Join us on these beautiful FULL MOON hikes all summer long! All outings start at 9:00pm, meet at the 29th Street Trailhead.
June 15
August 13
September 12
October 12
For more information, call Anika at (801) 792-3398.

Wild Edibles of Northern Utah
Dozens of wild, edible plants grow in the region of Northern Utah. Several almost certainly live in your own backyard! Join us for a walk to learn what edibles grow in our area and how to use them. This is an informational hike only, not an actual foraging excursion, so please bring your own snacks and drinks. Children ages 10+ and well-behaived dogs are welcome. Recommended texts: “Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West” by Gregory L. Tilford or “Plants of the Rocky Mountains “by Kershaw, Mackinnon, and Pojar. All hikes start at 9:00am on Saturdays.
May 28
June 25
July 30
August 27
September 24
Please contact James Magruder at (801) 755-9274 for trailhead info, or check Weber Pathways’ Facebook page!

Wild Flower Hikes
We’ll hike for about 3 hours with frequent stops to look at/look up wild flowers. Hikes will be at various locations in and around Ogden Valley. Bring flower guide book if you have one. Outings are weekly on Wednesday’s at 9am.
June 1
June 8
June 15
Call Helene for specific trail-head and more info 801-745-1799.

Peak Bagging
We will be hiking various peaks in and around Weber County, including Lewis Peak, Ben Lomond, Mt. Ogden, James Peak, and others. Bring lunch. These hikes are strenuous! Please be in adequate physical condition. Outings are on Fridays at 7:30am.
June 17
July 1
July 15
July 29
For trailhead info, please call Helene at (801) 745-1799.

Wasatch Hikers Wednesday Evening Hiking Group
Wasatch Hikers can be found every Wednesday night at 6:30 PM hiking a different trail in the Ogden area. Our creed is exercise is good for the body, mind and soul! The trails in the area are better than the gym. So if you want a group to hang with, or just have time for just one hike , we look forward to meeting a new friend. For information on our next outing visit: http://www.meetup.com/webercountyoutdoors/ and check the calendar under the meetups tab.

For Adults Only:

Singles Mingles 45 and older Hikes
If you’re 45 years old or older, single, and want to mingle…come join Polly on a wonderful series of trail outings! These outings are on MOST Thursdays at 6:00pm and won’t last longer than 2 hours. Outings will run from April 7th to September 29th. This is a great way to meet other singles in the area and enjoy nature together. To register and for location, please call Polly at 801-645-3236.

Hiking in Ogden is such a great way to appreciate your surroundings and enjoy a beautiful and free outing with your family. I encourage you to get out on the trails as soon as possible!

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This Week in Ogden

Of course, you already know that you can check my calendar anytime to find out what’s happening and plan your family days in Ogden. I plan on keeping you updated on Facebook and Twitter with daily events, but there are many classes and events that may require advanced registration, so check my calendar in advance to see if there is anything you or your family would be interested in, such as an African dance class at Eccles Community Art Center or Scout Saturdays at Ogden Nature Center.

Instead of relisting everything that is on my calendar, I decided to highlight the activities and events that my family wants to attending.

Here is my schedule of events:

Monday- Weather permitting, I’d like to go walk the trails at the Ogden Nature Center and maybe have a picnic. Eleanor loves seeing the owls, snakes, spiders and other creatures. It is nice to go to the lookout and view the beautiful scenery, also. Last time we spotted a mountain lion right in the Nature Center fields.

Tuesday- I have yet to take my daughter to Discovery Time at the Weber County Library. My husband usually takes her, but I want to check it out. It’s similar to the Treehouse’s On Track to Reading as it uses storytime, songs and activities to help prepare kids for reading, but this one is FREE.

Wednesday- The fam and I will be hiking up Taylor’s Canyon on a Weber Pathways guided family hike. We don’t have a child carrier, so I hope it isn’t too steep for Elle.

Thursday- Park day! There are so many wonderful parks in Ogden and I have a few favorites, but today I think I am going to check out a new one.

Friday- I have been wanting to go to Alphabet Soup at the Treehouse for some time now. They focus on a different letter each week and use songs, science, art, history and more to encourage literacy in young kids. If you don’t have a membership, you can get reduced admission to the museum during this time.

Saturday- The Pleasant Valley Branch is having a Memorial Day Tribute and I’d like to go, because their events are really cool and I’ve never been to this branch before. I don’t know if it will be kid appropriate, though.

That’s it for today. My next post will be about swimming lessons in the area, so check back tomorrow.

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