By Robert Thompson
robert@newsroom.byu.edu
Even from a distance, it is obvious that Utah Lake has a lot to offer for water sports enthusiasts.
But besides the boating, fishing and water skiing, visitors to the Utah Lake State Park are finding activities that use the park's land resources, and just in time for summer.
'Each weekend (at the park) gets busier and busier,' said camp host Sherman Smith.
The park administration is expecting the number of visitors to increase as the summer months progress, especially on holidays.
But park attendance is not heavy on just the traditional vacation days.
'It's busy any day in the summer,' said Florence Lane, Administrative Assistant for Utah State Parks and Recreation.
However, Lane said that visitors do not use some features of the Utah Lake State Park as much as they could.
For example, Lane said that many people do not even know about the picnic areas at the state park and thought that the picnic areas could be used much more than they are now.
Lane said one reason that people may not visit the park is the $6 per vehicle entrance fee, but that the fee is worth it.
'The whole park used to not be as nice as it is now, but it's a lot better than it used to be,' Lane said.
Lane said that some of the improvements that the park has made are bigger parking lots, improved restroom facilities and electrical wiring out to the boat docks.
But the state park is not planning on ending renovations any time soon.
'A lot more improvements are being made all the time,' Lane said.
One improvement that the park is planning on making is the removal of the outdoor ice skating rink, which is now closed.
Lane said that many park visitors were disappointed to see that the skating rink was going to be removed, but that the cost of repairing and maintaining the rink was too high.
'There was not enough interest in repairing it. It just kept going downhill,' Lane said.
However, the park system is planning on building a pavilion in the place where the rink is now.
Other non-water activities that park visitors can participate in include biking and bird watching.
Another favorite activity for children who visit the park is feeding the many birds that make the lakeshore their home, Lane said.