About Soldier Hollow

Nestled above the picturesque town of Midway and resting in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains lies Soldier Hollow Nordic Center at Wasatch Mountain State Park. Although it is primarily known as an Olympic venue, Soldier Hollow hosts a variety of activities throughout the fall, spring and summer. Athletes at world-class levels and weekend enthusiasts can enjoy the facility on a year-round basis. The primary building on the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center grounds is the beautiful awarding winning Lodge, which can be booked for wedding receptions, family gatherings and other functions. The Competition Center serves as the nerve center for major events, ranging from U.S. Cross Country Skiing Championships to the annual Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championships.

With its highest peak rising to 10,000 feet and over half the land 7,500 feet above sea level, the climate and land impart multiple uses. In December 2000, an award-winning lodge surrounded by 16 miles of trails opened in an area of Heber Valley known as Soldier Hollow. It is speculated that this name comes from Captain James H. Simpson and his company of road surveyors and other soldiers who camped in the area in 1849. From 1858-1861, over 7,000 U.S. Army personnel and associated civilians occupied Camp Floyd, south of Heber Valley. They were ordered to contain what Federal officials perceived as uprisings against the Federal government by Mormons. Accordingly, they ordered Captain Simpson to locate a better and perhaps shorter route between Camp Floyd and Fort Bridger, Wyoming. His company camped at Torbet’s Creek in Heber Valley and it is more than likely that Soldier Hollow is named after the soldiers of Captain Simpson’s expedition "Utah.gov; Jami Balls".