| Deer Creek State Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
.jpg) The Rainbow Bay day use area of the Deer Creek State Park, with the Deer Creek Reservoir andMount Timpanogos in the background, October 2012 | |
  Location of Deer Creek State Park in Utah Show map of Utah Deer Creek State Park (Utah) (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Wasatch,Utah,United States |
| Coordinates | 40°24′50″N111°30′20″W / 40.41389°N 111.50556°W /40.41389; -111.50556 |
| Area | 3,260 acres (13.2 km2)[1] |
| Elevation | 5,400 ft (1,600 m)[2] |
| Established | 1971[2] |
| Visitors | 587,052 (in 2022)[3] |
| Governing body | Utah State Parks |
Deer Creek State Park astate park in south westernWasatch County,Utah,United States,[4] featuring largeDeer Creek Dam and Reservoir. The park is located near the town ofCharleston in the southwest corner of theHeber Valley.
Established as a state park in 1971, the 3,260-acre (13.2 km2)[1] Deer Creek State Park features the large Deer Creek Reservoir, which is popular forfishing andsun tanning, along with othersurface water sports such asboating,sailing,swimming, andwindsurfing. The park is at anelevation of 5,400 feet (1,600 m).[2]
Park facilities include two concrete ramps for boat-launching, a summer-only 75-unitcampground (58 sites forRVs and the remainder fortents), rest rooms, showers, and sewage-disposal, two group-use areas,picnic areas, and fish cleaning stations. There is also arestaurant andgas station, and boat rentals are available. The park recorded 338,865 visitors for thefiscal year 2017.[5]
Most of the multiple areas of the park are accessible directly fromU.S. Route 189 (US-189), which runs near the eastern and southern shores of the reservoir. However,Utah State Route 314 provides additional access from US-189 to the facilities on the southern shore.[6]
In the 1930s theSalt Lake City area and surrounding farmland were suffering fromwater shortages. Creation of a reservoir was approved by theUnited States Congress in 1935 to help alleviate this problem, and Deer Creek Reservoir became a significant part of theProvo River Project.
TheBureau of Reclamation (BOR) began construction of the reservoir in the spring of 1938. Water was available for use in 1941, and the project was completed in 1955. The Provo River Water Users Association, under contract with the BOR, repaid construction costs, and operated and maintained the facilities until the area became a state park in 1971. During this time, fishing was the chief recreational activity, as other water sports were prohibited.
The Division of Parks and Recreation became responsible for the administration, development, and operation of the park in January, 1971, and maintains it today.
