OVBA Spotlight: Original Dee Home, Now Ogden Canyon’s Gray Cliff Lodge Restaurant

By Justin Yates

Steve and Jody Sniggs are the proud owners of the distinguished Gray Cliff Lodge Restaurant, located just five miles up Ogden Canyon, nestled right below the beautiful gray cliffs that rest above. In the summer, the Lodge dwells quaintly among the trees which sway in the cool breezes of the canyon. In winter, its cozy presence, snug against the canyon wall, provides warmth and sustenance for all. The Lodge also possesses a compelling history which impresses the heart and mind of each new visitor. The Sniggs gladly recount the building’s history, which includes the story of the Thomas Dee family, to any interested guests.

To be used as a summer home, the building was erected in 1912 by the Dee family, a family whose name has been revered in the Ogden area for many years. The Dee family made many significant contributions to Ogden and were one of the key contributors that led to the establishment of the Mckay-Dee Hospital Center.     

The Dee family eventually sold the home in 1932 to the Greenwell family, who during their stay, entertained guests and made dinners for groups of people. It wasn’t long until the house became an official restaurant in 1945. In 1965, Steve’s parents bought the Lodge, and it has been in their family until today.  


As customers presently visit the one-hundred-year-old restaurant, they are able to imagine how things were back in the day, for example, how the main dining room used to be the original Dee family room, where all in the household would come together and mingle. Then they can hear the stories of how that same room later became a common room for weary travelers when the Greenwells used the home as a boarding house before it became a restaurant. Or how the porch, which has since been enclosed and is now used as a dining area, was a place where the Dees, and later the Greenwells, would sit together after a hard day’s work and enjoy a summer’s evening.   

The most recent addition to the restaurant is a collection of snow skis dating back to the 1800s that neighbor Nick Breeze has set up in the bar. The collection includes skis that were used by miners to travel from mine to mine in the winter, as well as skis that were used by the military during WWII.

Steve and Jody are members of the Ogden Valley Business Association (OVBA), and they have enjoyed their membership therein. This group of businesses has been a great benefit to the Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon.  The Sniggs have observed that the members of the Association support each other, helping businesses to succeed and better serve their visitors and customers.

Steve and Jody’s favorite part of running the Gray Cliff Lodge is being able to please people and provide them with an enjoyable, “cozy and relaxed (Gray Cliff)” experience for just about any size of group.  Some of their featured menu items include lamb chops, steaks, chicken, prime rib, fresh mountain trout, and homemade cinnamon rolls and pie. All are prepared in the traditional “Gray Cliff” way.

The Sniggs live next door to Gray Cliff Lodge and treat it like home. They constantly provide for its upkeep and preserve the same spirit of love and service that has existed in the home since it was built.

 For directions, history, the full menu, and more, visit www.grayclifflodge.com.  To learn more about other OVBA Member Businesses, visit www.ovba.org.