Utah
Outdoor recreation in Utah continues to soar. Now there’s a plan to keep it sustainable
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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox points to the state’s vast natural wonders as one of its strongest features.
“I joke all the time that when God created Utah, he was showing off,” he said. “We have these amazing five national parks we’re very proud of; and now close to 50 state parks that we’re all very proud of, but there are hundreds of places that, if they were anywhere else, they would also be state or national parks. That’s how fortunate we are to live in this beautiful place.”
Some of these were fairly secretive, but Utah isn’t a secret anymore. It was the fastest-growing state in between 2010 and 2020, and recent population estimates put it in the top 10 in numeric growth.
Meanwhile, outdoor tourism has skyrocketed over the past decade, too. Zion National Park visitation, for instance, jumped from 2.8 million in 2013 to 4.6 million last year, nearly a 65% increase over the past decade. Similar trends are visible across many outdoor recreation areas, as their popularity soars.
All of this means more people are recreating at Utah’s parks, trails, slopes, bodies of water and other outdoor places. This isn’t a bad thing, but it does require more planning to prepare for the pros and cons of growth, says Jason Curry, director at the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation.
That’s why Utah is turning to a new strategic plan to better manage the issue. The first-of-its-kind plan, released Wednesday, centers on four “cardinal directions” to guide sustainable outdoor recreation across the state:
- Build and support collaborative processes: Enhance collaboration between different government agencies and private sectors that help support the development and maintenance of outdoor infrastructure.
- Improve awareness and education: Inform people about stewardship and safety principles, but also the benefits of going outdoors.
- Increase access to outdoor recreation: Maintain and improve existing outdoor recreation “assets,” while also creating new “high-quality” recreation opportunities.
- Increase economic and health benefits: Support local and regional planning for “diverse outdoor opportunities” that support the economic and mental health benefits outdoor recreation can provide.
How the plan came together
Utah established an office focused on outdoor recreation in 2013 — the first state to do so, before the office was elevated to a state division in 2022. Curry said work to create a strategic plan began a little over a year ago, forming a guide toward the goals of outdoor recreation in the state.
A commission composed of various state lawmakers, state agencies, educators, nonprofits and businesses held several workshops and focus groups across the state to gather feedback on what the document should include. Overall, it aims to build on the state’s successes and address the challenges that pop up along the way, and help dictate how about $50 million in annual state funds are spent.

Utah’s outdoor recreation created $8.1 billion in economic output, supporting over 70,000 jobs and $3.6 billion in wages in 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported last month. It notes outdoor activities like RVing, boating/fishing, hunting and off-highway vehicle riding are the top drivers in the state’s recreation economy.
Outdoor recreation is also considered one of the larger economic drivers in rural Utah, especially in counties close to national parks. And experts say it offers many mental and physical benefits.

The downside is growing popularity led to new challenges, including wear and tear on trails and the need for parking and amenities. There’s also been an increase in damage to public lands from vandalism, as well as more search-and-rescue calls, many times involving people unfamiliar with handling rugged terrain.
“We figure if we educate people on how to recreate safely and keep them out of those dangerous situations, how to be prepared, we can have a huge impact on reducing that workload and that demand,” Curry said, adding that “responsible” recreation is an important piece of the plan.
The future of Utah recreation
The efforts to provide greater collaboration outlined in the plan may help federal, state, local and tribal entities in Utah have better access to resources that address new outdoor recreation opportunities and challenges. This may also lead to new parks, trails and greenways across the state to meet the growing recreation needs.
Both Curry and Cox called the plan a “working document” that is “adaptable” to fit changes in the state as they occur. It’s also set up to be flexible, to fit the different needs of every region, so communities can decide to focus on a more tourist-centric approach, or on creating recreation opportunities for residents.
The ultimate goal is to enhance all the recreational opportunities across Utah while preserving its pristine natural beauty.
“We want our outdoor recreation plan and infrastructure we put in place to be sustainable,” Curry said. “We want this to be something that future generations … to be proud of we’ve left.”
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Utah
5 vehicles hit exercise equipment on I-15 near Arizona-Utah border
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Five vehicles collided with a piece of exercise equipment on I-15 near the Arizona-Utah border on Friday, according to Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire Department.
At around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 9, fire personnel responded to an incident involving five vehicles on I-15 Southbound at Mile Marker 17. Crews arrived on scene to find “slightly used exercise equipment” in the middle of the road, officials said.
A total of 14 people were involved in the collisions, though only one was taken to the hospital, St. George Regional, as a result.
“Please drive defensively; Keep your eyes on the road,” a social media post from Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire states.
No further information is available at this time.
Utah
Analysis: Utah’s fight was there against No. 9 BYU, but the little details cost Utes a shot at the upset
Utah couldn’t get enough defensive stops Saturday night against No. 9 BYU in the latest rivalry matchup at the Huntsman Center.
The Runnin’ Utes, though, made the Cougars work for the victory, even as a heavy underdog.
There are no moral victories in this bitter rivalry, but if Utah can show progress moving forward from BYU’s harder-than-expected 89-84 victory, this kind of effort won’t go in vain.
“I think it was, there was a lot of little things, a lot of game plan things, little details that I don’t know if we just forgot or didn’t pay attention to,” Utah first-year coach Alex Jensen said about what cost Utah against the Cougars.
“Down the stretch, we’ve talked about it for a while because we’re going to give up size to other teams, but giving up the offensive (boards), it’s hard to get a stop and then they get the offensive rebounds. It’s a hard thing to come back from, especially the last few minutes.”
Jensen lamented his team’s defensive effort against the Cougars multiple times in the postgame press conference — BYU was able to shoot 50% in the game, and the Cougars held a 41-33 rebounding edge.
Senior Richie Saunders, who had never beaten Utah in the Huntsman Center until Saturday, was especially destructive on the boards. He had 14, including six on the offensive end, and helped BYU have a 16-10 edge in offensive boards and 19-14 in second-chance points.
“It’s hard to give up 89 points and win, right?” Jensen said. “And if you look at all the good teams in college that win, (they) are the other teams that defend and rebound.”
Utah has made giving BYU headaches in the Huntsman a routine thing. Even though the Cougars are the program on the ascent, the Utes still won their last two games in the series played at the storied venue.
Utah even pumped some belief into the packed house multiple times over the course of the game that it could stun BYU again.
The Utes got out to a 7-0 start in the game, then matched BYU punch for punch in the first half before going into the break down two after a questionable foul call resulted in two free throws from AJ Dybantsa just before the half.
Though BYU eventually built a 13-point lead in the second half, the Utes fought back again and made it a one-possession game multiple times down the stretch.
That included cutting it to 81-80 on two Terrence Brown free throws with 3:15 to play.
Then, the Utes had a defensive stop in the final minute down three, but a costly turnover — just Utah’s ninth of the night — gave BYU the ball back with eight seconds remaining.
Two Saunders free throws followed that turnover from Brown, and with that, the Utes’ fight came up short.
Brown and Don McHenry showed up well in their introduction to the rivalry, as the dynamic scoring guards accounted for more than half of Utah’s points.
Brown had a game-high 25 points to go with five assists, three rebounds and two blocked shots, while McHenry had 21 points, two assists, two rebounds and a steal.
“Coach was just just saying you should be excited to play in a game like this,” Brown said. “… It was just a good opportunity, and it was definitely exciting.”
Fifth-year forward James Okonkwo provided a spark in front of a raucous crowd, to the tune of 13 rebounds, four points and two assists.
“James has been great the last two games. It’s great because it leads us with a physicality and just his presence, and that’s kind of what we want from him as a fifth-year senior,” Jensen said.
“The last two games, he’s been great and hopefully we get that, that same James going forward.”
Speaking of the crowd, the Utes noticed just how much a packed house for the first time this season — call it the annual rivalry effect — brought an energy to an arena that is often far too quiet as Utah tries to rebuild a once-proud program.
“I think the MUSS did a really good job of, like energizing us. It was a different level of energy in the game today, and it was really encouraging,” Okonkwo said.
“We went out on a really good run to start the game, and you could just feel it. We were locked in and it was really fun.”
It wasn’t enough to best BYU’s Big 3. Dybantsa, the projected lottery pick, had 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, Saunders tossed in 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds (six offensive), while Rob Wright III added 23 points and six assists.
Can Utah learn from this game and take some lessons into the rest of Big 12 play?
Yes, the Utes are likely to lose the majority of their games the remainder of the season — they are the worst-ranked Big 12 team in the NET and KenPom, by a sizable margin — but Utah also showed that it’s progressing, even if incrementally.
“Honestly, like we have enough — we’re going to be so good when we clean up just a little mistakes,“ Okonkwo said. ”Honestly, that’s my opinion.
“That’s what (coach) was kind of harping on about in the locker room, just staying consistent. Just get better every day.”
Utah
Utah Jazz Run Into Familiar Face vs Charlotte Hornets
As the Utah Jazz look to take on the Charlotte Hornets for their second of two meetings for the season, it’ll mark the first time that a familiar face, Collin Sexton, returns to the Delta Center since his offseason trade to the East Coast.
Earlier in this past offseason, Sexton was sent to the Hornets along with a pair of future second-round picks in exchange for veteran center Jusuf Nurki. It was a deal that was a bit criticized from Utah’s perspective upon initially going down, but in the time since, has seen both players find their way into notable roles with their new squads.
While Nurkic is listed as questionable to suit up for the action against his former team, Sexton seems ready to go against his, and could even start back in Utah after having previously done so in the Hornets’ latest game against the Indiana Pacers; a game they fell short in 112-114.
So, not only will Sexton be looking for a bounce-back win off a loss, but he could have an extra chip on his shoulder to perform well against his former team as well.
Collin Sexton Returns to Utah as Jazz Take on Hornets
Sexton was a part of the Jazz for three seasons from 2022 to 2025 after initially coming aboard as a part of the extensive Donovan Mitchell and Lauri Markkanen trade as a sign-and-trade acquisition, and for the tenure that he was in Salt Lake City, was a pretty significant part of the roster––playing a total of 189 games, starting in 120 of them.
In that time, Sexton averaged 17.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 48.8% from the field and 39.8% from three, being a consistent offensive piece in the backcourt next to a growing Keyonte George and, at the time, his fellow veteran guard, Jordan Clarkson.
However, the Jazz, during their latest offseason, made the inevitable shift to focus on their young talent in place of Sexton after three good years of being a core rotational piece, sending him to Charlotte for his third team since being drafted to the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2018.
Since being in Charlotte, Sexton has remained about as steady as he was in Utah––averaging 15.2 points a night on 48.3% from the field, paired with 2.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, filling in once again as a valuable locker room add and veteran teammate to help bring along the Hornets’ developing roster.
Last time he went up against the Jazz, it was on his new home floor in Charlotte, making for a pretty brutal game from the Jazz, as they were blown out by Sexton and the Hornets, 103-126 at the beginning of November, which also made for the first time Utah was without Walker Kessler after he was ruled out for the season due to shoulder surgery on a torn labrum.
The Jazz will try and even up their season series, looking a bit different from that two-month span, and will be forced to do so without the services of Lauri Markkanen (rest) and Ace Bailey (hip), thus giving a brighter green light for Keyonte George to have another explosive night scoring the ball, this time against his former teammate.
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