A Local Slice of Western Life in Logan and Cache Valley

Catch a glimpse into pioneer living and enjoy live theater on the way to Yellowstone with a stop in Logan, Utah and the Cache Valley. Here are our favorite places to get comfort food, go on a hike and see history up close.

Go back in time at the 160-acre American West Heritage Center in Wellsville, Utah. You’ll find interpreters in period clothing to help you learn about life in the Mountain Man Camp, mock-pioneer settlements and a working farm straight from 1917.

Re-enacting Pioneer Life at the American West Heritage Center Photo: Flickr/Marsha Maxwell

Throw tomahawks or learn to set traps and identify furs with volunteers dressed as mountain men; make rag dolls or compete in a two-man log-sawing contest; learn to spin wool, weave rugs, milk a cow or just enjoy a wagon ride. The Welcome Center features a number of exhibits on local history, plus visitors can wander out to the center’s bison enclosure for an up-close look at the animals.

Blacksmith at the American West Heritage Center Photo: by Mike Bullock courtesy of Cache Valley Visitors Bureau

Then, stroll the newly renovated center of downtown Logan, Utah, at Main and Center streets.

“It looks like something out of a Hallmark movie,” says Cache Valley Visitors Bureau director Julie Terrill of the quaint street dotted with colorful hanging baskets and outdoor dining. 

Stop by the Bluebird Candy Factory where you’ll see handmade chocolate and candy being created at this Logan staple. Candy has been made here since 1914.

Downtown Logan, Utah Photo: Paul Hermans via Wikimedia Commons

Cache Valley is well known for its locally made products. All of Pepperidge Farm’s iconic Goldfish crackers for the Western United States are made here as well as the swiss cheese that adorns Wendy’s and Arby’s sandwiches nationwide from Gossner Foods. Go on the self-guided Foodie Trek and Signature Products Tour to sample all of the region’s favorite products. The guide can be found at www.explorelogan.com. 

If you’re still looking for a taste of Cache Valley head to where the locals hang out, Angie’s, a diner on Main Street, serves up all-day breakfast and renowned pies and cheesecakes. What locals really crave though, are the scones.

“In this part of the country we don’t think of a scone as that crumbly English pastry,” Terrill says. “Order the scone at Angie’s and you’ll get a delicious fry bread. It’s a regional specialty.”

Hiking on the Wind Cave Trail near Logan Photo: by Monique Beeley courtesy of Cache Valley Visitors Bureau

Five minutes from downtown, you’ll find yourself deep in a national forest. Head up Logan Canyon for a breathtaking scenic drive, ending 43 miles later at picturesque Bear Lake. Stop along the way at one of the 26 trailheads such as the Wind Caves, which will bring you on a steep-but-worthy 4-mile, round-trip journey to an interesting cavern with views across the canyon to the China Wall, a limestone cliff. 

Or, stop at Beaver Creek Lodge to go on a guided horseback ride or off-road vehicle drive through the beautiful landscape. In the winter, Beaver Creek Lodge rents snowmobiles, or you can ski across the street at Beaver Mountain, the oldest continuously-owned family ski resort in the US. 

To top it off, every summer, Cache Valley becomes Utah’s “Heart of the Arts,” featuring three live-performance theaters with opera and musical theatre stars from across the world coming to Logan to perform with a full orchestra. Visit www.explorelogan.com/calendar.html for the most up-to-date information.

For more information:

Cache Valley Visitors Bureau
(800) 882-4433
199 N Main St, Logan, UT
www.explorelogan.com

American West Heritage Center
(435) 245-6050
4025 S. Hwy 89-91 Wellsville, UT 84339
www.awhc.org

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