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Last year for Memorial Day week-end we decided to go to Brigham City, Utah.
It was our first time staying in Brigham City. We typically head south to Utah’s State or National Parks for long weekends and wanted to try something a little different. So we chose to head north to relax and spend the week-end winding down at the campground.
What a fantastic idea!
We discovered that Brigham City is the gateway to many cool tourist sites in Northern Utah including; Golden Spike National Historic Site, ATK Thiol Rocket Garden, Spiral Jetty, and the list goes on.
After learning this, it didn’t take us long to completely change our plans for the next couple days. So much for a little R&R.
While we did this itinerary over a long week-end, it would also be a fun mid-week break in summer or fall.
Friday Night Arrival – Travelling between Salt Lake city and Brigham City
We left Salt Lake City after work on Friday night. Since it was a long week-end, traffic was pretty heavy so it took about 1 ½ hr to get to the campground. The drive from Salt Lake City to Brigham City is about an hour in normal traffic.
We arrived at the campground around supper time and set up the trailer. We had missed the evening hayride, but the park was still open so the kids headed over to play. The big guy is really extroverted and loves to make friends with everyone he meets so he was really excited by how many other kids were at the campground. Definitely a huge plus to camping!
Day 1 – Brigham City Train Museum, Bear River Bird Refuge, and Fruit Way
Depending on when you arrive and the time of year, this can be as busy or relaxed day as you feel. Plus, if you arrived late on Friday night, it might be enjoyable to have a slow start to the morning.
Brigham City Train Museum
The Brigham City Train Museum is a free museum dedicated to sharing the story of the Brigham City train station and travelling by rail at the turn of the century.
The museum also has a replica caboose that can be toured on request. We’ve seen caboose before, but this one is fully restored giving you a great idea of what it would be like to have lived and worked in one during the 1900s. The boys love trains so this was worth the stop!
Bear River Bird Refuge
Honestly, we’ve never been huge into bird watching. I mean we love watching birds, but spending a day dedicated to birding was a new adventure for us. If you haven’t tried it, we’d definitely recommend it!
The bird refuge has an amazing visitor center that is open during the week and on Saturdays. This is a must stop. If you go for a drive around the refuge they’ll check out books so you can get an idea of what birds you’re looking at.
After a stop at the visitor center you can choose between a couple of hikes behind the center or a scenic drive. Time permitting, both are awesome, but if you’re stuck for time we’d recommend the drive around the refuge. There are several signs describing fun facts about the birds and habitats as you make your way around.
Fruit Way
If you are visiting Brigham City in late summer and fall, a drive down the fruit way is a must.
Fresh vegetable and fruit stands line the road. Honestly, I had no idea how many variety of peaches there were! Try one or try them all, it’s a great stop on the way back to your hotel or accommodations.
Day 2 – Crystal Hot Springs
If you aren’t from Utah, Sundays can take some getting used to. While many attractions are still open, there will be some that are completely closed or have reduced services. You can easily swap Day 2 and 3 in this itinerary although the summer recreation of the Golden Spike Ceremony won’t be playing on Sundays.
When we visited Brigham City, I had promised the kids we’d spend a day at the campground pool. We headed over in hopes that we’d be able to jump in. Turns out the pool was unheated…. I was later corrected… it’s not “unheated”, it’s “solar heated”.
Insert eye roll. Whatever you wanted to call it, it was ridiculously cold. After much research we discovered Crystal Hot Springs! Life saver!
The pools are drained each night and refilled in the morning. With some of the highest mineral contents in the world it’s no surprise that the pools have taken on an orangy tinge giving them a rough appearance. I mention this because it’s surprised some people who have gone.
We spent most of the day here. Between the pools and water slides the kids were in heaven! Our younger son was even able to ride the water slide himself so he thought this place was brilliant. They also loved the shallow pool because they could walk around, squirm on their tummies or “hide” behind the waterfall.
If you are planning on heading out for a visit, check out our article on how to maximize your trip to Crystal Hot Springs. It’ll be an awesome day. For this one, remember to pack a lunch and Always Pack a Sweater.
Day 3 – Golden Spike National Historic Site, Thiol Rocket Garden, and Spiral Jetty
Know before you go: While there are restaurants that you can go to, they are at least 30- 60 min drive from these sites. We recommend packing snacks and a lunch so you don’t feel like you need to leave early and miss something.
ATK Rocket Garden
We recommend starting your adventure here. It’s about a 40min drive from Brigham City and 2 miles from the turn-off to Promontory Summit. If you’re shy on time you could also stop here on the way back from the Spiral Jetty as it can be nicely viewed from dawn till dusk.
The garden is literally a collection of rockets, parts (booster, motors) and missiles arranged in as an outdoor museum. Each one has a sign explaining its statistics and uses. It’s really interesting to walk around the garden and see all the different displays. Depending on your interest level you could spend between 30min and an hour and a half here.
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Golden Spike National Historic site is at Promontory Summit about a 20min drive from the ATK Rocket Garden.
Reenactments of the Golden Spike ceremony start on Memorial Day and run through Labor Day on Saturday’s and holidays. At the time of writing there are 2 reenactments on these days at 11am and 1 pm. If you come on a day when the reenactments aren’t occurring you can still see the trains in motion. The Jupiter train arrives at 10am and the No 119 arrives at 10:30am. The trains run again at 1:00pm.
We’d definitely recommend arriving in time to see one of these demonstrations. The kids thought this was the best part of the visit. They had a blast watching the trains come in, getting up close to them, and peering in them from the viewing platforms.
There are also 2 driving tours that you can do in the summer, a couple of hikes/walks, and a museum about the Golden Spike and its importance to the advancement of transportation in the USA.
Spiral Jetty
An amazing piece of land art created by Robert Smithson in 1970. Created in the Great Salt Lake from black basalt rocks, its scale is really impressive. During some times of the year the art is submerged so you might not be able to walk on it; however, in late summer and early fall the water level is usually lower.
Whether you can walk on the Spiral Jetty or not, it’s worth a hike up the trail behind the parking lot. It gives a panoramic view of the Spiral Jetty and the surrounding Great Salt Lake. Instagram anyone?
The Spiral Jetty isn’t too far from the Golden Spike National Historic Site. It takes about another 30 min from the Golden Spike National Historic Site to drive to the Spiral Jetty. Phone service is pretty spotty to non-existent out here so plan your trip accordingly.
These are only some of the fun things to do using Brigham City as your base camp. This area is known for ghost towns, has some great hikes, state parks, and museums that are just a hop skip and jump away.
Have a great week-end! And don’t forget to Always Pack a Sweater!
