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For weeks Casey Gerbich had his eye on a choice campsite at Utah’s Bear Lake State Park for the week following the Pioneer Day holiday.
But all the planning in the world wouldn’t have helped him book a site through the state’s online reservation system, administered by the outside contractor Reserve America.
Gerbich discovered the hard way that the popular park allows many of its campsites to be booked ahead of time for family reunions.
“Every single waterfront and shaded spot is prebooked,” said a frustrated Gerbich, who lives in Wellsville. “They are prebooking the premier spots.”
In 1971, the Utah State Legislature passed the Off-Highway Vehicle Act, creating the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation s Off-Highway Vehicle program. This year, Utah s off-road enthusiasts can celebrate 50 years since the program s inception with contests, photo hunts, educational events and more.
But what is the Off-Highway Vehicle program and why do we celebrate it this year? According to the State Parks website, The Off-Highway Vehicle Program promotes educational programs and distributes education course certificates to youth, administers multiple grants for both public and private entities, distributes non-resident permits to visitors from other states, shares safety messages, and much, much more!
Have you had trouble reserving a campsite at a Utah state park? Tell us about it sltrib.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sltrib.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The area north of Moab known as Dalton Wells will in the near future be known under its newly approved designation: Utahraptor State Park. House Bill 257, sponsored by Rep. Steve Eliason (R-District 45), was passed by the state legislature in early March and is expected to soon be signed by Governor Spencer Cox, and establishes both Utahraptor State Park and a new park in Morgan County called Lost Creek, with a combined price tag of $36.5 million.
Local officials have been concerned about overuse damaging the undeveloped area in recent years; the new state park will protect the rich paleontological, cultural, natural and recreation resources in the area.