Wasatch 50

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. A 21,592 acres nature preserve created in 1961, which became a state park in 1968. Prior to becoming a state park certain locations within the park were used for farming and grazing activities, while much of the remainder was used recreationally by locals. The Soldier Hollow venue was one of only three venues designed by the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) specifically for the 2002 Winter Olympics; with the others being the Utah Olympic Park and Utah Olympic Oval. During the 2002 games Soldier Hollow hosted the biathlon, cross-country skiing, and Nordic combined events. The venue itself hosted 64,160 biathlon spectators, 99,320 cross-country spectators, and 1,794 Nordic combined spectators during these events. During the 2002 Winter Paralympics the venue hosted the biathlon and cross-country events. To this day, Soldier Hollow continues to play an integral role in the development of youth and elite Nordic skiers with year round training, and competitions from junior championships to biathlon world cups. Summer activities have started to grow, with mountain bike events, weddings, and mud runs all being popular.