SALT LAKE CITY — For the third year in a row, Utah State Parks recorded over 12 million visits to our parks across the state. Fiscal year 2026, July 2025 – June 2026, is now Utah State Parks’ third-highest year of visitation.
“In the past 10 years, visitation in Utah State Parks has more than doubled from 5 million to 12 million annual visits,” Director of Utah State Parks Scott Strong said. “As interest in the outdoors continues to increase, we will continue to provide parks full of great recreation opportunities, well-maintained facilities and park rangers ready to help you make lifelong memories.”
Top 10 Parks in Visitation FY 2026
Sand Hollow State Park: 1,408,754 visits
Dead Horse Point State Park: 1,130,864 visits
Snow Canyon State Park: 919,545 visits
Wasatch Mountain State Park: 910,046 visits
Antelope Island State Park: 854,514 visits
Jordanelle State Park: 828,300 visits
Deer Creek State Park: 635,592 visits
Bear Lake State Park: 631,502 visits
Willard Bay State Park: 560,945 visits
Goblin Valley State Park: 517,915 visits
Largest Increases in Visitation FY 2026
Snow Canyon State Park: + 162,088 increase in visits
Wasatch Mountain State Park: + 131,204 increase in visits
Utahraptor State Park: + 114,078 increase in visits
Goblin Valley State Park: + 58,145 increase in visits
Sand Hollow State Park: + 51,349 increase in visits
Background
In 1957, the Utah Legislature established the State Parks and Recreation Commission, anchoring a promise to protect and celebrate the state’s iconic landscapes. For more than half a century, this system operated under a traditional, taxpayer-subsidized model.
However, the economic realities of 2010 forced an existential shift. Facing severe budget cuts and legislative directives, the Division was challenged to reinvent its operational model. Rather than retreat, Utah State Parks innovated, transitioning from a heavily subsidized agency to a largely self-sufficient enterprise—proving our parks can be both profoundly valuable and fiscally responsible. All fees paid at a Utah State Park go directly back into the agency.
Today, we operate 46 State Parks across Utah. With a range of reservoirs, red rocks, mountainsides and museums, we serve the people of Utah and those who visit. And as post-pandemic visitation continues to boom, Utah State Parks works to provide visitors with well-maintained facilities, friendly park rangers and beautiful lands to enjoy for this and future generations.
Media
Photos and videos of Utah State Parks are available here.
