Ride Around the Utah State University Campus

 

Utah State University

Utah State University (USU), the state’s original land-grant institution founded in 1888, is located in the vibrant college town of Logan, Utah, and enrolls around 29,000 students.

The campus enjoys a stunning natural setting on the bench of the ancient Lake Bonneville, right against the Wasatch Mountains. This location offers unparalleled access to outdoor life—from skiing and hiking trails to the adventures of Logan Canyon. Beyond the beautiful scenery, USU is a major research university. It was this research excellence, particularly the renowned Water Research Lab, that brought my husband and me to Logan while he completed his master’s degree in Civil Engineering.

 

About the Ride

Immediately after our bike tour of Cache Valley, we made sure to ride through the USU campus for a dose of nostalgia. The ride was a trip down memory lane, particularly when we passed the spot of my infamous 1981 bike crash. Back then, an irrigation sprinkler head shot me in the face with a strong stream of water, causing me to wreck. Helmetless, I woke up with two police officers loading me and my bike into a patrol car for a trip to the ER. Fortunately, my injury was only a separated shoulder that popped back into place on its own, leaving me with nothing more than a few weeks in a sling and a memorable story.

We also rode past the engineering building where my husband spent countless hours in class, but skipped the Water Research Lab. We’d have a private tour of that facility with a few of his grad school buddies in a couple of days.

 

Ride Overview
  • • Location: Utah State University Campus
  • • Course Type: loop with an out-and-back
  • • Course Surface: paved
  • • Bike: Salsa Warbird
  • • Distance: 5.87 miles
  • • Moving Time: 36:34
  • • Average Speed: 9.6 MPH
  • • Elevation Gain: 217 feet
  • • Elevation Range: 4,710 to 4,898 feet
  • • Weather: 83° and sunny, climbing to 86°
  • • Date of ride: June 28, 2025
  • •  Start time: 12:57 PM

 

Fun Pictures From Tooling Around the Campus

The first stop on our USU tour brought us to the married student housing, the very place my husband and I started out as newlyweds, married just six short weeks. We’ll never forget the spectacular view of the Wasatch Mountains out the back of our apartment. Our first bedroom and office were behind those top two left windows.

 

Forty-four years ago, our bedroom windows overlooked the then-gravel parking lot for Maverik Stadium. Best of all, no huge tree blocked our beautiful, clear view of the Wellsville Mountains beyond the field.

 

A statue of Merlin Olsen, one of the most celebrated figures in Aggie history, welcomes fans at the main entrance of Maverik Stadium. Olsen was an All-American and a winner of the 1961 Outland Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding lineman. He went on to enjoy a prolific 15-year career (1962–1976) as a defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams.

 

Just off campus, we visited St. Jerome’s, our church during our time in Logan. A memorable moment as a parishioner was buying a black with white print t-shirt. It featured a dove and cross on the front that read, “I’m a rare bird,” and on the back, “A Utah Catholic.” After we moved back home to Virginia, wearing it to the gym always got a great reaction.

 

We continued our tour by riding past Old Main, the historic academic anchor of the campus. Its construction spanned from 1889 to 1902, making it the university’s oldest functioning building. It commands a view from the top of Old Main Hill, a prime spot for sledding, overlooking Logan and the beautiful Cache Valley. What my picture misses due to the angle is four huge “A’s” for Aggies crowning the tower.

 

Since it was a Saturday afternoon during the summer, the campus was virtually deserted, and we had it mostly to ourselves.

 

We stopped to check out the Utah State University weather station, which was fascinating to both my husband and me.

 

The site of the 1981 crash, which occurred immediately after a Rain Bird sprinkler “attacked” me. I considered lying on the sidewalk next to my bike for a “Rain Bird incident” picture, but my husband said it would be a bit too much. LOL

 

Though I don’t recall speeding in 1981, this painted warning wouldn’t have stopped my crash. With the proliferation of students riding eBikes, eScooters, and eSkateboards today, it serves as an excellent safety reminder.

 

Our tour concluded as we rode past the College of Engineering complex, where my husband dedicated many hours during his time at USU.

 

Garmin Stats

Post-ride Garmin…

 

Garmin map and elevation graph…

 

Final Thoughts on the Rides

Our nostalgia-filled ride around the Utah State University campus had us both reminiscing about our two-year stay in Logan. While living in Logan, I got quite homesick, especially during the holidays, and couldn’t wait to move back east to be closer to our families. Now though, both my husband and I would love to stay in Logan for a month during the summer. If that were to happen, you can bet that we’d be making many repeat rides around campus and beautiful Cache Valley.

 

Questions
  • • Have you gone back to your alma mater years later for a nostalgia-filled visit or are you able to visit often? ~ We go back to Virginia Tech, our under-grad alma mater often, but this was only our second visit to USU since my husband graduated.
  • • When you were in college, did you live on or off campus? ~ I lived on campus when I was an undergrad at Virginia Tech.
  • • Do you stop and relax occasionally to fuel or take pictures, or barrel on through when on a long run or ride? ~ pictures, always pictures, unless I’m racing