A look at Extreme Sports opportunities in Ogden

There is no charge to kayak at any of the locations.

Water skiing: During highway excavation work several years ago, a small lake was created just two minutes from downtown Ogden.

With a $1.5 million investment, a 70-acres water ski park will have a half-mile slalom course, a 17-acre fishing lake and an 18,000-seat amphitheater. The hope is that park will be well enough established to hold the 2011 water ski championships.

Ice climbing: Jeff Lowe, a noted world-class climber, is building a year-round ice-climbing tower that is 65-feet high and will offer a sheer-ice wall, a 70-degree ice wall for beginners and novice climbers and a combination ice and boulder climbing wall.

The tower will be located on 25th Street between Grant and Washington and across from the municipal park. Up to 12 teams will be able to climb at one time on the structure.

There will be a charge to climb.

Bouldering: On the foothills east of Ogden, there are fields of large boulders called St. Joe's Boulder Field that have become popular with climbers. Difficulty ranges from V0 to V7 or higher. Bouldering has become popular with climbers in recent years.

There is no charge to climb.

Rock climbing: There are a number of popular rock-climbing areas to the east of Ogden, including the 9th Street Crag and the School Room Cliffs. There are a number of established routes at both locations.

There is no charge to climb, but having climbing experience is recommended.

Mountain biking: Utah has become well known for its range of mountain biking opportunities, ranging from the red hills to the south to the mountain trails to the north, and particularly those around Ogden. Trails range from beginning to expert and offer everything from backcountry roads to challenging single track.

Fort Buenaventura: The fort, located minutes from the city center, was the first permanent Anglo settlement in the Great Basin.

It offers a rare look back in history in a very historical setting — the restored fort with its schoolhouse, trading post and corrals — and events dating back to the early 1840s. This includes a mountain man rendezvous during the summer months that includes hatchet throwing, black-powder shoots and occasional sessions on candle-, rope- and soap-making.