3,600-foot zip line coming to Deer Creek State Park


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DEER CREEK STATE PARK — Deer Creek State Park officials announced that a 3,600-foot zip line will open in the park in August.

Deer Creek Reservoir was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation in the late 1930s and was established as a state park in 1971, according to Deer Creek State Park assistant park manager Steve Bullock. Fed by the Provo River and excess water from the Weber and Duchesne rivers, the reservoir is the main feature of the park and supplies a majority of the activities.

However, in addition to boating and fishing, visitors to the park will soon be able to also enjoy zip lining above the reservoir. Bullock said the park plans to install the zip line in the Rainbow Bay area of the park, complete with rope bridges and a ropes course.

The zip line will be a 3,600-foot slide across the reservoir with a 300-foot decline. A 200-pound adult will reach speeds of around 40 miles per hour on the zip line, Bullock said.

“It will be kind of a neat attraction,” Bullock said. “They’re working on still some of the environmental impact statements and that kind of stuff, but that’s supposed to be probably installed by August. So maybe by the end of the summer, that will be up and running. It’s something we are looking forward to.”

In the meantime, here are four other activities you can enjoy at the park during the early summer months.

Fishing

Deer Creek Reservoir is about 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide at its widest point, Bullock said. It offers 18 miles of shoreline, making it a great location for fishing by boat or from the shore. DWR officials stock the reservoir each fall with 70,000-90,000 rainbow trout, and the reservoir also has yellow perch, brown trout, large and smallmouth bass and walleye.

“It’s one of the more successful, more productive fisheries in Utah for trout,” Bullock said. “Rainbow trout fishing is really popular at the reservoir. There’s a draw for that year-round.”

Kiteboarding

Because Deer Creek Reservoir is located in a canyon, it gets a consistent wind every afternoon, making it a perfect spot for kiteboarding, Bullock said. Kiteboarding has grown in popularity in the park during the past 15 years, and now a local instructor teaches lessons at Deer Creek Reservoir, Bullock said.

[@utahdwr gill netted success. BIG brown 16.7 lbs 31 inches.](https://instagram.com/p/2WYXPIhIwx/) A photo posted by Deer Creek State Park (@deercreekstatepark) on

The instructor provides the kiteboarding equipment and takes visitors out for an afternoon on the reservoir. However, if kiteboarding doesn’t strike your fancy, the park also has kayaks, paddle boards, canoes, jet skis and boats for rent.

Three ramps are available for launching around the reservoir, though the Charleston Boat Ramp located at the north end of the reservoir is currently closed due to a quagga mussel investigation.

Tubing the river

Floating the Provo River is a rite of passage for many Utahns. However, many may not realize that the top of the Provo River is managed by Deer Creek State Park. Bullock said people can launch their tubes or rafts right below the dam within state park boundaries and make their trek down the river.

Several rental companies nearby provide people with a ride to the top of the river and the tubes and other equipment.

“It’s a nice stretch of river and it’s a nice way to cool off,” Bullock said. “It’s pretty popular in the summer.”

Hiking and biking trail

Deer Creek State Park also has a 7-mile trail located on the west side of the reservoir that is great for hiking or biking, Bullock said. The trailhead is located at the reservoir’s dam and the trail runs parallel to the Provo River, as part of the Provo River Trail system.

Bullock said Google Map employees recently tracked the trail and people can do virtual tours of the trail on Google Trekker.

Deer Creek State Park is located in Provo Canyon along Highway 189, about 15 minutes from Provo and an hour from Salt Lake City.

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UtahOutdoors
Faith Heaton Jolley

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