Known as Utah’s largest freshwater lake at roughly 148 sq. miles, Utah Lake provides a variety of recreation activities. Utah Lake State Park offers fishing access for channel catfish, walleye, white bass, black bass, and several species of panfish. With an average water temperature of 75 degrees, Utah Lake provides an excellent outlet for swimming, boating, and paddleboarding. The RV campground consists of 31 sites, complete with water and power hookups.
DISCOVER
Utah Lake is unique in that it is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the West and yet it lies in an arid area that receives only about 15 inches of rainfall a year. The mouth of the Provo River, where it empties into Utah Lake, was undoubtedly a very popular camping place for the early inhabitants of Utah Valley.
In fall 1776, the Dominguez – Escalante party traversed Spanish Fork Canyon and on September 21, climbed a small hill near its mouth and looked down upon the large lake situated in a vast valley. One member of that party, Bernardo Y. Pacheco, reported to his king, “This place is the most pleasant, beautiful and fertile in all New Spain.” From the time of Escalante’s exploration until the early part of the nineteenth century, no accurate records revealing further travel to Utah Lake are available.
A thriving market for furs brought another breed of men into Utah Valley, the mountain men. Some who visited near the lake were Peter Skeen Ogden, Osborne Russell, Daniel T. Potts, Jim Bridger and Jedediah Strong Smith. Smith, who in a letter written in 1827, became one of the first men to mention Utah as the name of the lake. In 1844 and 1845, JohnC. Fremont visited the lake.
Local leaders, especially boaters, had been interested in construction of a facility on the lake that would permit them to launch boats year round. In 1933, an application requesting the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps was made and a marina was completed within a few years. Upon completion, Provo City began constructing shoreline picnic and camp facilities.
Opened to the public as a state park in 1967.
Park Elevation: 4,500 feet
FACILITIES
Visitor Center
The Utah Lake State Park Visitor Center is located in the middle of the state park. The Visitor Center houses the park’s offices as well as various displays about the history and wildlife of Utah Lake. There is a Tree of Life, personal flotation device station that allows visitors to borrow life jackets in case they left theirs at home. The Visitor Center also holds the Utah Lake Conference Room which is available for rent.
Boating
Utah Lake State Park has 2 marinas. The inner marina has 4 boat ramps along with courtesy docks, a fueling dock with marine pump out, and lease docks. Our concessionaire operates out of the inner marina, offering both motorized and non-motorized rentals. The outer marina has a sandy beach and is open to swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking and more.
Day Use
Day use at Utah Lake State Park offers a variety of activities. From swimming in the outer marina, hanging out on the beach, or enjoying a picnic under one of the cabanas, there is something for everyone to enjoy. New this year, we now have a disc golf course set up inside the park.
Lakeshore Campground
The Lakeshore campground has 31 RV sites with water and electricity hookups. Each site has a covered picnic table, firepit, and BBQ. Restrooms and showers are close kept clean. Reservations can be made up to 4 months prior to your first nights stay.
