Recreational Paradise Out Your Back Door
Numerous recreational activities are located minutes from campus, including rock climbing, biking, snow boarding, downhill and cross country skiing, horseback riding, birding, fishing, caving, snowmobiling, kayaking, sailboat racing and canoeing. The 40-mile National Scenic Byway through Logan Canyon begins just east of campus and follows the curves of the Logan River, one of the nations' last truly wild rivers. The river meanders through vertical limestone cliffs, colorful fields of wildflowers and panoramic vistas. Glamour magazine rated Logan Canyon Scenic Byway among the nine best places in America for fall colors. The canyon features miles of hiking and biking trails, horse rides, Beaver Mountain Ski Resort, campsites, yurt rentals, the Mt. Naomi Wilderness Area and chance encounters with moose and elk. Visitors can sail or swim in the turquoise waters of Bear Lake, take a sleigh ride among 700 wintering elk at the Hardware Ranch Elk Refuge, soak in natural hot springs or visit one of the largest bird refuges in the Intermountain region. For those wanting to experience the wilds of nature with a guide, USU's Outdoor Recreation Center, located on campus, and Bridgerland Audubon Society offer guided adventures. The Stokes Nature Center offers hands-on nature programs for children of all ages.
Ten major ski resorts, many of which hosted sites for the 2002 Winter Olympics, lie within a two-hour drive from campus. Logan is a half-day drive from Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. Utah's famous National Parks and Monuments, including Arches, Bryce, Zion and the Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument, are within a day's drive. Northern Utah offers an ideal climate, with fresh powder snow in the winter, a mild spring, a long growing season and colorful fall foliage. One Logan native remarked, "God created a recreational heaven here. We just built a community around it."