Golden Spike National Historic Site

Golden Spike National Historic Site  marks the location of the historic joining of the Union Pacific Railroad with the Central Pacific Railroad on May 10, 1869, completing the country's first transcontinental railroad.  It was a race to the finish between the two railroad companies who competed for lucrative land grants and bonds from the federal government.  For every mile of track laid by the railroad companies, the government granted 20 square miles of land and issued subsidy bonds worth thousands of dollars.  The Historic Site is fun to visit, especially for train buffs, but there are actually no longer any real tracks or trains serviced in this area.  In 1903, the Lucin Cutoff trestle was completed across the Great Salt Lake, saving the railroad a great deal of time and money in avoiding the elevation gains and twisting routes through Promontory Summit.  The abandoned rails were eventually removed in 1942 to use the steel for the war effort during World War II.  It should also be noted that the actual golden spike isn't located at the Historic Monument, but is housed in Palo Alto, California as part of the Stanford University art museum.  It is best to visit the Historic Site from May to October when they have the locomotives out.  The tracks were empty when we visited in March.
Golden Spike National Historic Site

Location:  Approximately 87 miles northwest of Salt Lake City and 32 miles west of Brigham City via Utah Highway 83; take exit 365 off of I-15.

Total Sites:  No campground or camping allowed
Stayed in Site:  No campground
Elevation:  4,360 - 5,280 ft
Date Created:  1952 

Two Stars ** (the site is worth visiting, but the area is quite desolate and there is no established campground or camping)

Willard Bay State Park - #7

Willard Bay is a man-made reservoir created in 1949 to capture and store fresh water from the Ogden and Weber Rivers.  The Bay is operated by the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District and the park facilities are operated by the Utah State Parks.  Willard Bay State Park consists of two marinas, day use facilities, and three campgrounds: Willow Creek Campground, Cottonwood Campground, and the South Marian Group Campground.  We stayed in the Cottonwood Campground which is named after the many cottonwood trees that shade the area.  This is a nice little campground conveniently located about an hour north of Salt Lake City and is great for a quick overnight or an early season practice run.  Unfortunately the campground is located quite close to the I-15 freeway and the traffic noise is surprisingly loud throughout the night.  Mosquitoes and gnats are prevalent as well.
Willard Bay State Park

Location:  Approximately 50 miles north of Salt Lake City; take exit 357 for the North Marina campgrounds and facilities (or exit 351 for the South Marina Group Campground and facilities).

Total Sites:  58
Stayed in Site:  69
Elevation:  4,200 ft
Park Created:  1966

Two Stars ** (due to proximity to freeway and the bugs)