Utah's State Park Visitation Trends For Last Year - 2022

by Rod
(Salt Lake City)

In 2022, Utah's state parks experienced a modest dip in visitation echoing a trend observed in the state's national parks. The number of visitors decreased by 14% compared to the record-breaking year of 2021. However, this slight decrease doesn’t indicate a lack of interest in these state treasures. Approximately 10 million individuals ventured into Utah's 46 state parks as evidenced by KSL.com's analysis of data released by the Utah Division of State Parks.

Multiple factors likely contributed to the decline in visitation last year. Economic factors, including inflation and elevated gas prices, may have deterred potential travelers … both from within the country and abroad … from visiting. Vicki Varela, the Managing Director at the Utah Office of Tourism, mentioned that these economic conditions might have made travel less appealing in 2022.

Overall, even with a temporary decline in 2022, Utah's state park visitation continues to reflect the enduring allure of its natural wonders. As the parks evolve, expand, and offer distinctive experiences, they remain a vital component of Utah's outdoor heritage.

Top 10 Most Popular Utah State Parks in 2022:

1.Sand Hollow State Park (Washington County): 1,089,086 visitors
2.Dead Horse Point State Park (Grand County): 1,069,572 visitors
3.Antelope Island State Park (Davis County): 885,078 visitors
4.Snow Canyon State Park (Washington County): 735,328 visitors
5.Jordanelle State Park (Wasatch County): 712,632 visitors
6.Deer Creek State Park (Wasatch County): 587,053 visitors
7.Wasatch Mountain State Park (Wasatch County): 574,185 visitors
8.Willard Bay State Park (Box Elder County): 540,910 visitors
9.Bear Lake State Park (Rich County): 539,173 visitors
10.Goblin Valley State Park (Emery County): 408,342 visitors

Top 10 Least Popular Utah State Parks in 2022:

1.Piute State Park (Piute County): 534 visitors
2.Flight Park State Recreation Area (Utah County): 5,233 visitors
3.Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum (Millard County): 6,615 visitors
4.Edge Of The Cedars State Park Museum (San Juan County): 13,777 visitors
5.Frontier Homestead State Park Museum (Iron County): 15,039 visitors
6.Anasazi State Park Museum (Garfield County): 17,301 visitors
7.Camp Floyd State Park Museum (Utah County): 18,302 visitors
8.Millsite State Park (Emery County): 18,557 visitors
9.Echo State Park (Summit County): 25,254 visitors
10. Scofield State Park (Carbon County): 35,481 visitors

(Note: This list excludes Lost Creek and Utahraptor state parks, which were established in the middle of 2022.)

Thanks to KSL.com and Carter Williams for this information.