Utah Central Region Long-Range Recreation Plan

The planning process combined GIS-based asset inventory, stakeholder and community engagement, recreation and tourism data, and economic analysis to understand how outdoor recreation supports quality of life and economic opportunity. Community surveys, interactive mapping, workshops, and field reconnaissance revealed both shared regional needs and distinctly local perspectives, creating a framework that could guide investment at the regional scale while keeping county priorities visible.

Translating data into a shared planning framework

SE Group synthesized recreation, community, economic, and project information into six coordinated county profiles and a regional planning framework. The analysis included:

County-level approach to regional planning

A consistent planning framework allowed SE Group to compare six counties while preserving differences in recreation identity, visitation, infrastructure needs, and attitudes toward growth.

Those distinctions were significant. Leaders in Piute County expressed strong interest in leaning into outdoor recreation for economic growth, building on deep traditions of motorized and traditional recreation. In Wayne County, there was a stronger interest in non-motorized recreation, with more hesitancy to further lean into outdoor recreation to attract more visits and visitor dollars. The county-level approach gave each community a meaningful place in the regional process and helped distinguish where future investment should support growth, access, infrastructure, stewardship, or management of existing demand.

Central Regional Outdoor Recreation Lands map developed to illustrate the six Central Region counties and the distribution of public recreation lands, providing a high-level view of the area’s extensive outdoor recreation landscape.

Momentum continues at the county-level

In multiple Central Region counties, county and municipal leaders are continuing to work together to advance outdoor recreation project ideas and priorities identified during the Central Region planning process. Starting in fall 2026, R6 Regional Council will support Sevier County leaders in further studying the feasibility and impact of potential large-scale projects across the county.

Local priorities to regional investment

Drawing from project submissions, county-level research, site visit observations, and stakeholder input, our team worked with DOR and the Regional Recreation Council to identify seven Regional Priorities to guide future recreation investment, including maintaining recreation destinations, strengthening motorized and non-motorized trail systems, expanding camping and water access, sustaining hunting and fishing traditions, and better connecting communities to the outdoors. DOR’s subsequent regional planning work continues to use these Central Region priorities as the model for translating county needs into an actionable regional strategy.

Sevier County Recreation Map: To better understand the unique recreation landscape of each Central Utah counties, we developed six individual county profiles and maps highlighting local assets, businesses, communities, land management, recreation destinations, and trail systems.

By the Numbers: Central Utah’s Outdoors

From iconic national parks to hidden swimming holes, extensive motorized trail systems, alpine hunting grounds, canyon rivers, stocked fisheries, and neighborhood parks and trails, the Central Region offers outdoor recreation at every scale. Together, these assets create a recreation system that supports residents’ quality of life, draw visitors from across the state and beyond, and reflect the region’s strong connection to the land.