Provo, Utah’s second largest metropolitan area, is located in the Utah Valley along the eastern side of the Wasatch Front. Provo is home to many landmarks and attractions including Utah’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Utah. Lake Utah is a 148 square mile body of water that provides recreation for much of Provo. Along Lake Utah sits Utah Lake State Park, a small facility full of plentiful water sport activities and beautiful lakefront camping.
Brigham Young University and the LDS Missionary Training Center, both owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, bring visitors from all over the world to the city of Provo each year. Although the buildings and facilities around the city attract visitors, the terrain and territory surrounding the city bring the visitors back for more than just schooling and training. The recreation around the city is what makes Provo an unforgettable place to see time and again.
Utah Lake State Park is located 46 miles south of Salt Lake City. The park, which sits five miles from Provo’s city center, is a camping and water recreation hotspot. The park is open year-round for day use and seasonally for camping. RVers visiting the park can venture out for day trips and see some of the area’s most beautiful places. Bridal Veil Falls and Mount Timpanogos are located within a 17-mile drive from the park and are all must-see locations.
Utah Lake State Park is located 46 miles south of Salt Lake City off I-15 and 15 minutes west of Provo. The park is just under an hour southeast of West Valley City, another camping hotspot. While you'll enjoy stunning mountain views overlooking the lake, you won't have to worry about any hilly roads since all of the local roads are flat and manageable. Visitors must pay a day-use fee when entering the park. The price is an additional charge added to the cost of recreation.
Once entering the park, proceed to the campground, located on the east side of the lake, where there is ample parking and a great RV campground.
Conveniently located minutes off of I-15, in the shadows of the stunning Wasatch Mountains, Springfield/Provo KOA is just south of Provo, Utah. The campground provides a large clubhouse with a full kitchen, heat, and AC, as well as a big-screen TV (great for groups and family reunions!). Enjoy time around the seasonal pool, fire pit, or the game room. You'll love the special on-site events, such as car shows and parties. The campground’s close proximity to area restaurants, a water park and attractions in Salt Lake City make the Springfield/Provo KOA a great base camp for Utah adventures.
Enjoy nature? There’s plenty of wilderness nearby for hiking, mountain biking, birding, and more. Bring your skis and snowshoes, or even a snowmobile, to enjoy Utah’s legendary powder snow. Pull-through sites and full hookups are available for rigs up to 70 feet long. Clean restrooms and hot showers provide the comforts and conveniences of home. There’s even an off-leash park for your pooch!
This campground backs right up to the shore. Sitting alongside Utah Lake, this campground offers everything you need for a comfortable, fun-filled stay. Sites have 20- and 30-amp electric hookups, as well as water; however, there are no sewer hookups, so you'll have to use the convenient dump station in the park. The max RV length is 50 feet, but you'll need to reserve a specific site to ensure you get a spot large enough for your RV or trailer as the larger sites go fast. This campground has restrooms and showers nearby, and campers will want to sit outside and enjoy the scenery and make use of the covered picnic table, fire pit, and grill at each space. Leashed pets are welcomed. Quiet hours are 10 pm to 7 am so please silence your generators during this time.
If you love high-speed water sports, Utah Lake is the place for you. With several launch points, you can drop your boat in the water and get ready for some speed. Utah Lake is the largest body of freshwater in the state, so you can enjoy miles of water skiing behind your speedboat. Wakeboarding and jet skiing are also very popular on the lake.
If you’ve never tried water skiing or wakeboarding, but are ready to learn on your RV vacation to Utah this summer, visit the marina right inside the park and schedule a lesson. You can also rent a boat, skis, a paddleboard, or jet skis. After you find out more information about lessons, spend time in the gear shop and see if there is any beachwear for sale that you might need for your upcoming adventure on the lake.
If you want to spend a relaxing day on the lake and prefer a slower pace, then take a peaceful ride on the water. Soak up some sun, work on your tan, and take a nap on the deck of your boat as you float on the cool waters of Utah Lake. Prefer getting wet? Kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding is a great way to get wet and chill out at the same time. Paddling can be extremely relaxing and is the perfect way to unwind on your camping adventure.
You aren't limited to the lake either. Try canoeing on the lower Provo River, where the water is gentle, but can carry you a ways without too much effort. Don't have your own watercraft? Utah Lake State Park partners with local rental shops, so you can rent paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboats at the inner marina and see how much fun you can have on the water
During your summertime RV vacation in the park, you'll need to cool off. Come to the swim beach to sink your toes in the warm sand and cool off in the sparkling lake. The swim beach is located in one of the park’s two marinas, the outer marina. The outer marina has a sandy swim beach and people are allowed to swim and launch smaller personal watercraft like kayaks and paddleboards from the beach. You don’t need any equipment to swim, so bring your towel, relax, and swim when you are ready to cool down. The whole family can enjoy a day of fun at the swim beach!
Although reservations are highly encouraged, if you arrive at the park without one, you may be able to rent a site that hasn't been reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
After spending all morning on the water, you and your crew are going to be hungry and need a rest from all that fun. If you pack a lunch and a blanket, you can have a picnic just about anywhere in the park. Some favorite spots are along the lower Provo River or the shores of the swim beach. If you prefer a picnic table and some shade, Utah Lake State Park has just what you're looking for. Pick a spot under a cabana near the swim beach or head over to the Visitor Center where you can buy a snack and enjoy it on the patio. Of course, you can always head back to the Airstream and cook up some grub to eat at the picnic tables in the campground before heading out for some more fun in the sun.
The park has many outdoor day-use areas open year-round. Visitors can use the public picnic areas on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are planning a larger group function and want to ensure that you have a space to host your event, reserve one of the two larger picnic pavilions. Rent the Old Ice Rink Pavilion and have access to water, two serving tables, two large grills, and 14 tables. Rent the Center Lawn Group Pavilion and have access to a serving table, a large grill, six tables, and a sand volleyball court. All rental fees are an additional charge on top of the daily entrance or camping fees.
With 148 square miles of freshwater, Utah Lake is the perfect place to cast your line year-round. Whether you like fly fishing on the river or lake fishing from your boat, this park has what you’re looking for. Anglers can fly fish along the Provo River where it empties into Utah Lake. This is a popular spot for catching channel catfish and trout. You may want to relax on the boat and reel in some walleye or white bass, bluegill, or even black bullhead. After a satisfying day at the lake, reward your family with an old-fashioned fish-fry back at the RV camp.
If you own a frisbee and love disc golf, then this nine-hole mostly flat and lightly wooded course is a great place to get outside and play. The course runs throughout the picnic and nature trail area, conveniently located next to some restrooms. Play holes one to four on the grass strip, and then cross the footbridge for holes five to seven. After playing hole seven, pass back over the bridge and complete your game on the grass for holes eight and nine. The course has natural tees and DISCatcher holes and is rated a par of 27. Visitors must pay a fee to access the course.
The autumn and winter months are perfect for birding in Utah Lake State Park. During the late autumn and early winter, the park is open for day use, and the conditions are just right to spot some of the feathered visitors that frequent the park. Even though the park is filled with water, the area is considered a desert region, and, therefore, attracts desert birds, especially since it contains a water source. Among these types of birds, you may see sage sparrows or thrashers. Of course, because Utah Lake is nearby, shorebirds are also in abundance. Visitors to the park often spot hawks, falcons, and bald eagles, but in the winter months, you are likely to see the unique merlin species as well. Pack your binoculars and print out a list of local birds to see how many you spot at this natural haven for our feathered friends.
