Green River
Green River State Park
Green River State Park is an oasis on the bank of the Green River where tall cottonwood trees shade well-manicured lawns. The park is a favorite embarkation point for river trips through Labyrinth and Stillwater canyons and is a good base for seeing much of southeastern Utah. Within a two-hour drive are Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef national parks; Dead Horse Point and Goblin Valley state parks; Lake Powell; the San Rafael Reef; and Horseshoe Canyon. The park is the beginning point for the annual 180-mile Friendship Cruise.
Green River State Park is just off Interstate 70 in Green River City. Facilities include a 42-unit campground, hot showers, modern rest rooms, group-use pavilion, amphitheater for interpretive programs and boat launching ramp. A new nine-hole golf course with its meandering fairways, lakes and traps is challenging and fun for all levels of golfers.
Info
Park Information
Acres – 53
Elevation – 4,100 ft.
Park Open – All Year
Reservations Accepted – 3/15-10/15
Stay Limit – 14 Days
Total Units – 42
RV Trailer Sites – 42
Maximum RV Length – 45 ft.
Tent Sites – 40
Group Camping
Fees – call 800-322-3770
The park also includes picnicking, group pavilion, drinking water, modern rest rooms, showers and waste disposal.
Some of the park activities include boating, fishing and golfing with hiking, biking, and off-highway vehicle trails nearby.
For updated information regarding facilities for the physically challenged, contact the park.
Camping Reservations. Reservations may be made by calling Utah State Parks and Recreation, 322-3770 in the Salt Lake City calling area or toll-free 1-800-322-3770, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Individual campsite reservations may be made from three days to 16 weeks in advance of departure date. A $6 nonrefundable reservation fee will be charged for each site reserved. A $10 nonrefundable fee is charged for group sites and building rentals. An additional reservation fee will be charged for any changes to existing reservations. Visa, MasterCard and personal checks are accepted. A $5 fee is charged for an extra vehicle and is collected at the park.
Permits and Passes. The Single Park Permit is $40 and allows the cardholder and up to seven guests in the same private vehicle day-use entrance into Green River State Park. The permit is valid for the current calendar year. The Five-Day Pass is $15 and allows day-use entrance to most Utah state parks for five consecutive days.
Green River State Park
P.O. Box 637
Green River, Utah 84525-0637
(435) 564-3633
Golf (435) 564-8882
Photo by Loco Steve
The Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake State Park
Park Information
- Elevation – 4,200 ft.
- Park Open – All Year
- Fees – call 800-322-3770
For updated information regarding facilities for the physically challenged, contact the park.
Great Salt Lake State Marina
P.O. Box 16658
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116-0658
(801) 250-1898
The park is 16 miles west of Salt Lake City on Interstate 80. A marina with 300 slips is available for year-round boating on the lake that seldom freezes. No entrance fee is charged.
The Great Salt Lake is both the largest body of water between the Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean and the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere. The Great Salt Lake is the major remnant of Lake Bonneville, a large freshwater lake of the Pleistocene era (75,000-7,250 B.C.) that occupied much of western Utah. The lake occupies one of the basins of the Great Basin, and is located at the western margin of the Wasatch Mountains of the Rocky Mountain Range.
The lake receives water from numerous perennial and intermittent streams originating in the surrounding mountains, the most important of which are the Bear, Weber, and Jordan rivers. No streams empty from the lake, and its high salinity is caused by the accumulation of minerals with no removal and the accompanying water evaporation. The lake occupies a broad level valley that has been created as deposits eroded from the surrounding mountains have filled the valley with sediments thousands of feet deep. The level nature of the valley is responsible for wide variations in the surface area of the lake, as a rise of only a few feet during wetter years can increase the surface area dramatically. In 1962 the lake elevation was 4,192 feet above sea level, giving it a surface area of 969 square miles (620,400 acres). In the early 1980s the lake reached an elevation of 4,212 feet above sea level, giving it a surface area of 2,300 square mile (1,472,000 acres).
The existence of a large body of water in an arid region, especially a salt lake, attracted early attention. Native American cultures used the freshwater marshes and streams around the lake for hunting and fishing. The first European reports of the lake seem to have been by Baron Lahontan, who reported in 1703 that he had seen a region west of the Mississippi which contained a large salt lake. The next recorded information about the lake came from the Dominguez-Escalante expedition. Reaching Utah Lake in 1776, they were informed by Indians that it was joined to a much larger lake to the north whose waters were “harmful or extremely salty wherefore . . . anybody getting a part of his body wet instantly feels severe itching around the wet part.” The most important effect of the Dominguez-Escalante report was its inclusion of a map showing a river connecting the Great Salt Lake to the Pacific Ocean. This mythical river was later sought by explorers and settlers as a route to the Pacific.
Trappers explored the region of the Great Salt Lake, beginning with Robert Stewart, who was at Bear Lake in 1812 but apparently did not visit the salt lake. Later trappers visited the lake, but is unclear who was first. Jim Bridger reportedly saw the lake in 1824. In 1826 a group of four trappers from the Rocky Mountain Fur Company spent twenty-four days circumnavigating the lake, seemingly putting to rest the idea of a river flowing from it to the Pacific Ocean. In spite of this, the Frémont expedition of 1843-44 visited the Great Salt Lake in 1843 and searched for a river flowing west to the Pacific, finally concluding that the lake indeed occupied part of a great basin which had no drainage to the sea.
Reports of the valley of the Great Salt Lake reaching Mormon leaders in Nauvoo, Illinois, prompted them to select it as a destination by 1845, and the first Mormon pioneer party reached the Great Salt Lake Valley on 22-24 July 1847. On 27 July Brigham Young and other leaders of the group visited the lake, and by August the lake was supplying salt to the settlers.
The high salt content of the lake has restricted its use, but several resorts have existed on its shores from time to time, the most famous being Saltair. From 1893 until it burned in 1925, and again after its reconstruction until drought isolated it in the 1930s, it was a major recreation facility. More recently sailing has been a popular activity at the lake. The lake has also been associated with mining its salt and collecting its brine shrimp for fish food. From the earliest Indians who obtained common salt to modern industries extracting a variety of minerals from its waters, from the tourists visiting the lake to experience the buoyancy provided by its waters to locals sailing its waters, the Great Salt Lake has remained a valuable and unique part of America’s geography.
See: “Great Salt Lake,” Utah Historical Quarterly 56 (1989); Dale L. Morgan, The Great Salt Lake (1947); John C. Frémont, Report of the Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains in the Year 1842 and to Oregon and Northern California in the Years 1843-44 (1845); Howard Stansbury, An Expedition to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake of Utah (1855).
Richard H. Jackson
Goosenecks State Park
Goosenecks State Park
Four miles off Utah Highway 261 near Mexican Hat, you can look into a 1,000-foot-deep chasm carved through the Pennsylvanian Hermosa Formation by the silt-laden San Juan River. The river meanders back and forth, flowing for more than five miles while progressing only one linear mile toward the Colorado River and Lake Powell. The access road is paved. Facilities include primitive camping and vault rest rooms.
Info
Park Information
Acres – 10
Elevation – 5,000 ft.
Park Open – All Year
Stay Limit – 14 Days
Total Units – 4
RV Trailer Sites – 4
Maximum RV Length – 30 ft.
Tent Sites
No Fees
Picnicking
Vault Toilets
Off-Highway Vehicle Trails Nearby
Biking Trails Nearby
Fees – call 800-322-3770
For updated information regarding facilities for the physically challenged, contact the park.
Permits and Passes. The Five-Day Pass is $15 and allows day-use entrance to most Utah state parks for five consecutive days.
Goosenecks State Park
P.O. Box 788
Blanding, Utah 84511-0788
(435) 678-2238
Photo by Greg Willis
Goblin Valley State Park
Goblin Valley State Park
Goblin Valley State Park is like no other area on earth. The park is a valley of orange, weathered gnomes. Thousands of intricately eroded goblin-like landforms create a strange and wonderful landscape. Visitors to Goblin Valley may hike among intricately eroded rock formations in haunting coves in this photographers’ paradise. Adjacent to the park, off-highway vehicle enthusiasts will find hundreds of miles of dirt roads to explore.
Goblin Valley State Park is in Emery County between Green River and Hanksville off State Route 24. Facilities include a 21-unit campground, modern rest rooms, hot showers for campers, sanitary disposal station and visitor observation shelter.
Fremont Indian State Park
Fremont Indian State Park
Fremont Indian State Park was established to preserve Clear Creek Canyon’s treasury of rock art and archaeological sites. Visit the museum in the visitor center where a video program introduces you to the Fremont Indians. Twelve interpretive trails, one accessible to wheelchairs, lead you into legend and history depicted through pictographs and petroglyphs. Also enjoy rock art, interpretive trails, fishing, horseback riding.
The park is 21 miles southwest of Richfield on Interstate 70 in central Utah. Fishing, hiking, camping and picnicking are available.
Info
Park Information
Acres – 889
Elevation – 5,900 ft.
Park Open – All Year
Reservations Accepted – 4/1-10/31
Stay Limit – 14 Days
Total Units – 31
RV Trailer Sites – 15
Maximum RV Length – 30 ft.
Tent Sites
Fees – call 800-322-3770
The park also includes a visitor center/museum, picnicking, drinking water, modern rest rooms, vault toilets, and concession service.
Some of the activities include watchable wildlife, hiking, biking and off-highway vehicle trails nearby.
For updated information regarding facilities for the physically challenged, contact the park.
Camping Reservations. Reservations may be made by calling Utah State Parks and Recreation, 322-3770 in the Salt Lake City calling area or toll-free 1-800-322-3770, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Individual campsite reservations may be made from three days to 16 weeks in advance of departure date. A $6 nonrefundable reservation fee will be charged for each site reserved. A $10 nonrefundable fee is charged for group sites and building rentals. An additional reservation fee will be charged for any changes to existing reservations. Visa, MasterCard and personal checks are accepted. A $5 fee is charged for an extra vehicle and is collected at the park.
Permits and Passes. The Single Park Permit is $50 and allows the cardholder and up to seven guests in the same private vehicle day-use entrance into Fremont Indian State Park. The permit is valid for the current calendar year. The Five-Day Pass is $15 and allows day-use entrance to most Utah state parks for five consecutive days.
Fremont Indian State Park
11550 West Clear Creek Canyon Road
Sevier, Utah 84766-9999
(435) 527-4631
Photo by Ken Lund
Fort Buenaventura
Fort Buenaventura State Park
Fort Buenaventura was the first permanent Anglo settlement in the Great Basin. It marked the close of the exploration, trapping and trading era in the West. The fort was originally established by Miles Goodyear in the early 1840s.
The fort has been reconstructed on a 32-acre tract of land in Ogden, 35 miles north of Salt Lake City. Fort Buenaventura Park includes stockade and cabin replicas on the original site, visitor center, group camping and day-use area, picnic tables, canoe rentals and modern rest rooms. Mountain men activities are held as special times throughout the spring and summer.
Info
Park Information
Acres – 32
Elevation – 4,500 ft.
Park Open – April – November
Group Camping
Stay Limit – 14 Days
Fees – call (800) 407-2757 or (801) 399-8491
Visitor Center/Museum – Hours Vary
Picnicking
Drinking Water
Modern Rest Rooms
Canoeing
Fishing
Watchable Wildlife
For updated information regarding facilities for the physically challenged, contact the park.
Permits and Passes. The Single Park Permit is $40 and allows the cardholder and up to seven guests in the same private vehicle day-use entrance into Ft. Buenaventura State Park. The permit is valid for the current calendar year. The Five-Day Pass is $15 and allows day-use entrance to most Utah state parks for five consecutive days.
Ft. Buenaventura Park
2450 A Avenue
Ogden, Utah 84401-2203
(801) 399-8491
Escalante State Park
Escalante State Park
Escalante State Park features colorful deposits of mineralized wood and dinosaur bones. The 130-acre Wide Hollow Reservoir on the park’s boundary adds water recreation and fishing. OHV riding areas are closeby.
The park is located 1.5 miles from the quiet western town of Escalante off State Route 12. Facilities include a visitor center, 22-unit campground, modern rest rooms with showers, sanitary disposal station and interpretive trail.
Info
Park Information
Acres – 1350
Elevation – 5,800 ft.
Park Open – All Year
Reservations Accepted – Year
Stay Limit – 14 Days
Total Units – 22
RV Trailer Sites – 21
Maximum RV Length – 50 ft.
Tent Sites – 21
Group Camping
Fees – call 800-322-3770
The park also includes picnicking, group pavilion, drinking water, modern rest rooms, showers, concession service and waste disposal.
Some of the activities include boating, fishing, swmming, hiking, and watchable wildlife with biking and off-highway vehicles nearby.
For updated information regarding facilities for the physically challenged, contact the park.
Camping Reservations. Reservations may be made by calling Utah State Parks and Recreation, 322-3770 in the Salt Lake City calling area or toll-free 1-800-322-3770, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Individual campsite reservations may be made from three days to 16 weeks in advance of departure date. A $6 non-refundable reservation fee will be charged for each site reserved. A $10 non-refundable fee is charged for group sites and building rentals. An additional reservation fee will be charged for any changes to existing reservations. Visa, MasterCard and personal checks are accepted. A $5 fee is charged for an extra vehicle and is collected at the park.
Permits and Passes. The Single Park Permit is $40 and allows the cardholder and up to seven guests in the same private vehicle day-use entrance into Escalante State Park. The permit is valid for the current calendar year. The Five-Day Pass is $15 and allows day-use entrance to most Utah state parks for five consecutive days.
Escalante State Park
710 North Reservoir Road
Escalante, Utah 84726-0350
(435) 826-4466
Edge Of The Cedars
Edge Of The Cedars State Park
Edge of The Cedars State Park Museum is the site of a pre-Columbian Puebloan Indian ruin and a modern museum, which is the regional archaeological repository for southeast Utah. Remains of the Ancestral Pueblo Indian Village with its unique architectural structures is a testament to the Indian civilization that once flourished in southeastern Utah. Edge of the Cedars museum houses an excellent collection of Anasazi pottery and other exceptional ancient Indian artifacts. Additional exhibits display cultural materials and information about Navajo and Utah Indians. Edge of the Cedars State Park hosts a variety of educational and cultural activities year-round. Edge of the Cedars State Park is located in Blanding. A picnic area is available, but there is no camping. Special events and art exhibits are available throughout the year.
Info
Park Information
Acres – 16
Elevation – 6,200 ft.
Park Open – All Year
Day-use Only
Fees – call 800-322-3770
Visitor Center/Museum – Hours Vary
Picnicking
Drinking Water
Modern Rest Rooms
For updated information regarding facilities for the physically challenged, contact the park.
Permits and Passes. The Single Park Permit is $50 and allows the cardholder and up to seven guests in the same private vehicle day-use entrance into Edge of the Cedars State Park. The permit is valid for the current calendar year. The Five-Day Pass is $15 and allows day-use entrance to most Utah state parks for five consecutive days.
Edge of the Cedars State Park
660 West 400 North
Blanding, Utah 84511-0788
(435) 678-2238
Photo By Pma03
East Canyon
East Canyon State Park
East Canyon Reservoir is a 680-acre boating and year-round fishing delight nestled in the mountains northeast of Salt Lake City on state routes 65 and 66. Recreationists will find a wide concrete launching ramp, paved parking area, modern rest rooms, showers, fish cleaning station and 31-unit campground with a large overflow area. Two spacious, covered pavilions with electricity are available for groups. A concessionaire provides boat rentals and a refreshment stand.
Info
Park Information
Acres – 267
Elevation – 5,700 ft.
Park Open – All year with limited facilities during winter
Reservations Accepted – 4/1-10/15
Stay Limit – 14 Days
RV Trailer Sites – 31
Maximum RV Length – 35 ft.
Tent Sites – 15
Fees – call 800-322-3770
The park also includes picnicking, drinking water, modern rest rooms, vault toilets, showers, and waste disposal.
Some of the activities include: boating, swimming, watchable wildlife, winter activities, and concession service during the summer only.
For updated information regarding facilities for the physically challenged, contact the park.
Camping Reservations. Reservations may be made by calling Utah State Parks and Recreation, 322-3770 in the Salt Lake City calling area or toll-free 1-800-322-3770, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Individual campsite reservations may be made from three days to 16 weeks in advance of departure date. A $6 nonrefundable reservation fee will be charged for each site reserved. A $10 nonrefundable fee is charged for group sites and building rentals. An additional reservation fee will be charged for any changes to existing reservations. Visa, MasterCard and personal checks are accepted. A $5 fee is charged for an extra vehicle and is collected at the park.
Permits and Passes. The Single Park Permit is $50 and allows the cardholder and up to seven guests in the same private vehicle day-use entrance into East Canyon State Park. The permit is valid for the current calendar year. The Five-Day Pass is $15 and allows day-use entrance to most Utah state parks for five consecutive days.
East Canyon State Park
5535 South Highway 66
Morgan, Utah 84050-9694
(801) 829-6866
Deer Creek
Deer Creek State Park
Deer Creek Reservoir lies in the southwest corner of beautiful Heber Valley and consistently provides some of Utah’s finest year-round fishing. Warm water and predictable canyon winds make Deer Creek extremely popular for boating, wind surfing, sunbathing, swimming and sailboating.
Facilities include a concrete boat launching ramp, 35-unit campground with modern rest rooms and showers, two group-use areas, sewage disposal and fish cleaning stations and paved parking area. Two concessionaires provide a restaurant, boat rentals, gasoline and sundries.
Info
Park Information
Acres – 3260
Elevation – 5,400 ft.
Park Open – All Year
Reservations Accepted – 5/1-10/1
Stay Limit – 10Days
Total Units – 35
RV Trailer Sites – 22
Maximum RV Length – 35 ft.
Tent Sites – 10
Camping Fee – $11
Group Camping
Fees – call 800-322-3770
The park also includes picnicking, group pavilion, drinking water, modern rest rooms, vault toilets, showers, waste disposal, utility hookups, and concession service.
Some of the activities include: boating, fishing, swimming, watchable wildlife, and winter activities with golfing, hiking, biking, and off-highway vehicle trails nearby.
For updated information regarding facilities for the physically challenged, contact the park.
Camping Reservations. Reservations may be made by calling Utah State Parks and Recreation, 322-3770 in the Salt Lake City calling area or toll-free 1-800-322-3770, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Individual campsite reservations may be made from three days to 16 weeks in advance of departure date. A $6 nonrefundable reservation fee will be charged for each site reserved. A $10 nonrefundable fee is charged for group sites and building rentals. An additional reservation fee will be charged for any changes to existing reservations. Visa, MasterCard and personal checks are accepted. A $5 fee is charged for an extra vehicle and is collected at the park.
Permits and Passes. The Single Park Permit is $50 and allows the cardholder and up to seven guests in the same private vehicle day-use entrance into Deer Creek State Park. The permit is valid for the current calendar year. The Five-Day Pass is $15 and allows day-use entrance to most Utah state parks for five consecutive days.
Deer Creek State Park
P.O. Box 257
Midway, Utah 84049-0257
(435) 654-0171